Microsoft AI Chief Rebuffs China Excuse for Skipping AI Regulation

Microsoft Corp. AI chief Mustafa Suleyman said concerns about China's AI progress should not be used as an argument against regulating the technology. "I don't think we should use China as the bogeyman for not making progress on our own efforts" on AI safety, Suleyman said Sunday on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. His remarks contrast with President Donald Trump, who has called for largely unfettered AI development and dismissed fears of catastrophic consequences as a hoax. Trump said Saturday he plans to name an AI czar, adding, "We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!" Suleyman's Microsoft AI team published a manifesto Tuesday guiding its own development, aiming to keep humans in control of future systems. Regulation should be seen as "creating shared norms and standards to increase safety," not "a bad thing," he said.