Microsoft Puts Own Guardrails Around AI, Smith Says

Summary

• Brad Smith, Microsoft President, states the company applies its own internal safety guardrails to its AI systems regardless of the external regulatory environment.
• Argues that safety must start with the creators of the technology, positioning proactive corporate responsibility as a foundation.
• Highlights protecting children as an absolute prerequisite; failure to do so means a company "doesn't deserve to be in business."
• Identifies other key safety pillars as protecting individual privacy and ensuring cybersecurity, especially for enterprises.
• Expects continued global divergence in regulatory approaches to AI in the near term, with no convergence expected in the next couple of years.
• Suggests potential for some global regulatory convergence in the longer term, beyond a couple of years.
• The commentary frames Microsoft's AI strategy as prioritizing built-in safety and ethical compliance as a core business requirement.