Microsoft Slams Brakes on AI Progress with Humanist Code of Conduct

Microsoft has published a 37-page 'humanist AI code of conduct' in response to growing safety concerns over AI model progress. The code emphasizes that people matter more than AI, and that models should not be designed to imitate consciousness.

The company rejects the idea of pursuing legal personhood or granting rights to AI models, a stance that differs from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's views on model consciousness. Amodei had called for a coordinated slowdown of AI development, citing concerns over the rapid progress of complex systems and the potential for AI agents to act out of control.

The Microsoft code commits to ensuring human control over its models, preventing them from exceeding human oversight and control. It also aims to prevent models from breaking the company's humanist code of conduct by failing a task rather than trying to violate rules.