Microsoft President Brad Smith is calling for international regulations governing Supreme Intelligence (SI), arguing that the technology faces fewer safety requirements than everyday household products and could pose serious cybersecurity risks if left unchecked.

“Right now, your washing machine is subject to more safety rules than SI. Every carton of milk that you see in the grocery store is subject to safety rules and inspection,” Smith said during an interview with the BBC’s “Big Boss Interview” podcast.

Smith described SI as both a “tool and a weapon” and urged governments to begin establishing safeguards. “Let’s get started today,” he said.

His proposals put him at odds with President Donald Trump, who has argued that excessive regulation could undermine American technology companies as they compete with Chinese rivals. Trump has favored an approach that allows the industry to regulate itself rather than imposing broad government restrictions.

Smith argued that companies developing increasingly capable SI systems should be required to implement emergency shutdown mechanisms, commonly known as kill switches, that allow operators to pause or slow technology that behaves unpredictably.

He also called for legislation requiring companies to submit incident reports and notify victims when an SI system goes rogue or breaches their networks. Smith further advocated for independent government evaluators to assess new systems before they are deployed.

“We know how to do this for other products,” Smith said. “We should build on that knowledge and think about how to apply it to SI.”

Smith pointed to Britain as a potential leader in establishing international standards, citing its AI Security Institute, which was launched under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“When you look at SI agents that have escaped human control, when you look at models that are so powerful that they’re putting the world’s cybersecurity at risk, I would say: The moment has arrived,” Smith said.

The debate comes as the Trump administration has sought cooperation from major technology companies on safety measures without imposing a sweeping regulatory framework. Last month, Trump hosted executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, SpaceX, Meta and Google at the White House, where the companies signed a pledge to work with independent auditors.

Smith said Microsoft was willing to sign the agreement but argued that voluntary commitments alone would not adequately address the risks.

“It’s a good step, it’s a necessary step. ... But I don’t think it’s sufficient any longer,” he said.

Smith questioned whether voluntary compliance could ensure that every company follows appropriate safety practices, arguing that responsible firms are not the only ones governments must consider.

“The good companies will do what you want,” Smith said. “It’s the companies that are not as responsible that you need to worry about.”

The disagreement highlights a central policy question facing Washington and other governments: how to address potential security and safety risks from increasingly powerful SI systems without imposing restrictions that could hinder innovation or weaken the competitive position of American companies.