Microsoft's Brad Smith asks if AI firms would respond "I need to win this race" if warned of deaths
“Imagine that somebody comes into your office and says, ‘I know we’re in a race to get out the next airplane first, but we’re worried that the airplane will crash and people will die.’ Would you say, ‘I need to win this race’?”
Reported September 25, 2026 by nbcdfw.com. Checked word for word against that report.
At a United Nations session on AI and human development this week, Microsoft President Brad Smith pushed back on the idea that artificial-intelligence companies cannot slow down until federal regulation arrives, criticizing firms for continually competing to release more advanced AI. Drawing a parallel to passenger aviation, Smith asked whether a company would prioritize winning a development race or protecting travelers and the public if warned its product could cause deaths. His remarks came amid intensifying debate: Bill Gates has urged Washington to regulate AI, some AI lab leaders have called for slower development, and state governors have begun pursuing their own oversight, while House Speaker Mike Johnson has declined to recall lawmakers for federal legislation and deferred to AI companies.
- nbcdfw.com ↗︎25 SEP 2026