# Microsoft President Brad Smith Criticizes AI Industry's Pace at U.N.
*Smith argues that slowing down artificial intelligence development is not a complicated question for tech leaders concerned about societal harm.*

- Medio: Civic Coast News (https://civiccoastnews.com)
- URL: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/microsoft-president-brad-smith-criticizes-ai-industrys-pace-at-un
- Sección: World
- Autor: Civic Coast News Staff
- Publicado: 2026-09-24T07:12:17.051Z
> At a U.N. event, Microsoft President Brad Smith criticized top AI CEOs for insufficient efforts to pause development amid concerns over societal harm from advanced systems.

## Las claves

- Brad Smith spoke at the United Nations regarding AI safety
- Smith argues slowing progress is not complicated if companies fear harm
- Criticism targets major tech leaders and their lack of coordinated slowdown

Microsoft President Brad Smith delivered a forceful address at an event hosted by the United Nations, where he openly criticized major technology executives for their inadequate efforts to slow down the rapid development of artificial intelligence. Speaking on Wednesday, Smith rejected the prevailing notion that AI companies require extensive domestic and international consensus before taking steps to mitigate potential risks.

### Rejection of Complex Consensus Requirements

In his speech, Smith argued that determining whether to pause or reduce the pace of AI advancement is "not a complicated question" for industry leaders who are genuinely concerned about the possibility of their systems causing significant harm. He emphasized that waiting for broad global buy-in should not serve as an excuse for inaction when immediate safety concerns arise, a story we covered in [Top AI Leaders Urge Slowdown Amid Safety Concerns](/noticia/top-ai-leaders-urge-slowdown-amid-safety-concerns).

### Focus on Societal Harm and Responsibility

The remarks highlight growing tensions within the tech sector regarding self-regulation versus external oversight. Smith’s comments suggest a shift toward holding individual corporate leaders accountable for the societal impact of their products, rather than deferring to complex diplomatic negotiations. The statement comes as global scrutiny intensifies on how major AI firms manage the deployment of increasingly powerful systems, as we reported in [Top AI Leaders Urge Slowdown Amid Safety Concerns](/noticia/top-ai-leaders-urge-slowdown-amid-safety-concerns).

#### Implications for Tech Governance

This intervention at the United Nations places Microsoft’s leadership in a prominent position within the ongoing debate over AI governance. By directly addressing other CEOs, Smith is attempting to frame safety not as a regulatory burden imposed from outside, but as an internal ethical imperative that requires immediate and decisive action from industry titans.
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Fuente original: https://civiccoastnews.com/noticia/microsoft-president-brad-smith-criticizes-ai-industrys-pace-at-un