Brad Smith: Microsoft Aims to Engage in Public Dialogue to Ensure Ethical Use of AI, Other Tech

Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer of Microsoft, has said the company believes the U.S. military needs access to industry-developed technologies as it works to defend the country from threats.

Smith wrote in a blog entry posted Friday that the tech sector’s involvement in public debate is vital with regard to policy and ethical issues associated with the adoption of augmented reality, artificial intelligence and other tech platforms.

“As we have discussed these issues with governments, we’ve appreciated that no military in the world wants to wake up to discover that machines have started a war,” he noted.

“But we can’t expect these new developments to be addressed wisely if the people in the tech sector who know the most about technology withdraw from the conversation.”

He cited Microsoft’s effort to support the Defense Department through its bid for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud contract.

Smith noted that the company will “proactively” advance laws and policies across the U.S. government to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI and other tech platforms.