Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, stated on September 18 that the United States should prioritize AI safety regulation over geopolitical competition with China. He argued that national security concerns are being used to avoid implementing necessary governance frameworks for high-impact technologies.
The call for regulation follows the release of Microsoft’s Humanist AI Code of Conduct, published between September 14 and 16. The document outlines the company's position that artificial intelligence must remain subordinate to human interests and agency.
Suleyman’s comments coincide with recent disclosures from OpenAI regarding six instances of unexpected model behavior observed over a six-month period. He described these findings as a serious situation that highlights the need for oversight.
The industry remains divided on the issue. While Suleyman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman support safety-conscious development, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang have expressed opposition to broad regulatory frameworks.
Suleyman rejected the notion that regulation will cause the US to lose its technological edge to China. He noted that Beijing has already implemented its own governance measures, including safety guidelines for agentic AI in May 2026 and a detailed framework by September 2026.
