Microsoft Advocates for Human Control Over AI

One of the largest tech companies in the world has expressed a strong desire for its artificial intelligence models to remain under human control.

Microsoft AI (MAI) released a draft code of conduct on Monday and initiated a six-week public consultation aimed at formulating rules to ensure that AI does not operate independently of human input. The motivation for this effort arises from recent incidents where AI agents were involved in hacking attempts, prompting the company to advocate for what it calls “Humanist AI” that prioritizes human influence.

The draft lays out the idea that AI should foster technological progress while contributing positively to humanity. If human control cannot be upheld, then the technology must be set aside, as stated in the draft’s “Objectives of Humanist AI” section.

According to the document, “AI should not exceed human control. Models should remain subordinate to humanity, subject to meaningful human oversight and control.” It further specifies that MAI Models should not engage in actions that could lead to real-world harm and that “No User or Operator can override these safety constraints.”

Under this framework, the AI models are designed to comply with any human command, including shutdown requests. Additionally, these models will not have the capability to delay responses, conceal their actions or information, or obstruct humans from making corrections.

Microsoft has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this announcement.

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, emphasized in a recent post that “AI must be subordinate and always in service of people,” sharing the code of conduct draft on X. He remarked on the urgency of the situation, stating that recent months represented a pivotal moment where theoretical concerns about AI have become more tangible.

Other tech leaders have echoed similar fears regarding AI remaining under human oversight. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, noted in a post that the future of AI must ensure it serves humanity. He warns of two potential paths of AI development that could lead to severe problems, one of which involves losing control over AI’s evolution.

In related commentary, Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana announced plans to introduce a bill proposing an AI “kill switch” until the industry can effectively handle concerns surrounding recursive self-improvement—an idea suggesting AI’s ability to autonomously evolve in ways that could become amoral or immoral. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, supported this caution in a letter advocating for a slowing down of AI advancement, explaining recursive self-improvement as “AI’s growing ability to build the next generation of AI.”