Microsoft Calls for Regulatory Plan to Ensure Human Control over Artificial Intelligence

During the B20 India 2023 Summit, Microsoft’s President and Vice Chairman Brad Smith called for a “regulatory plan” to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) remains under human control. In his speech, Smith emphasized the need for “real clarity” regarding the goals and principles of AI regulation.

Smith noted that after witnessing scenarios depicted in numerous science fiction movies, people are seeking reassurances that this emerging technology will not take a harmful path. As Smith pointed out, artificial intelligence is becoming an indispensable technology, and transparency is required through standards set by stakeholders across various segments.

According to Smith, a regulatory plan should establish principles that are applied at multiple levels: “People have seen too many science fiction movies go awry. We need companies and regulators to focus on that as they create things that feel like part of science fiction. This means a real focus on knowing where the cloud is deployed and knowing whether the content that is created, especially by AI, is known.”

Furthermore, following the summit, Microsoft released its own technical review proposing a regulatory plan for artificial intelligence. This review emphasizes the need for companies to understand how their customers are using AI, establish national and global standards, and enforce regulations across various layers such as implementation, models, cloud, and data centers.

Smith’s remarks come at a time when the technology and implications of artificial intelligence are under increasing scrutiny. In July of the past year, Microsoft, Google, and other companies convened with U.S. President Biden to discuss the responsible development of artificial intelligence.