Microsoft unveils code of conduct for AI models as safety concerns mount

Microsoft on Monday revealed a draft of a new “Humanist AI Code of Conduct” that outlines the principles that will govern its development of AI models in an effort to get feedback ahead of publishing a revised version later this year.

The company said the “Humanist AI Code of Conduct” will take into account feedback it receives on the draft over the next six weeks, which will be incorporated into the revised version to be published before the end of the year and guide development of Microsoft AI (MAI) models. 

The principles in the document will “guide our model development in 2027 and beyond,” and Microsoft’s announcement said it will undertake “similar consultation processes as we develop new versions of the Code of Conduct over time.”

“This Code of Conduct is motivated by a single overriding objective: that humans must retain meaningful control over AI so that it can help people live healthier, happier, and more productive lives. It is the primary governing document informing how we train MAI Models, the technical controls, the operational and monitoring systems we implement, and the organizational culture that underpins all of this,” the company wrote.

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“At Microsoft AI, we begin with a simple premise: people matter more than AI. Technology’s purpose is to advance human civilization and to accelerate human flourishing. Science and technology have been the engine of human progress for millennia, delivering immense benefits to billions of people,” the company wrote.

“That’s what we intend and expect from AI,” Microsoft added, saying that “to get there, we need to design with care and intention, setting out our aims and objectives clearly in advance.”

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Microsoft said that when it launched its superintelligence efforts in November 2025, it did so with humanist principles in mind that would keep humanity in control of advanced AI through how it is calibrated, contextualized and limited by developers.

“Superintelligence – AI systems that are more intelligent and capable than all humans combined – will be the most powerful technology in history. Over the next decade, we expect it to exceed human performance at most tasks,” Microsoft wrote in the draft code of conduct.

“Containing, controlling, and aligning such a powerful force is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. We must therefore be completely clear about why we are inventing these systems and how we intend to control them.”

“Defining what they must not do is as important as our excitement and optimism about the tremendous benefits they’ll bring,” the company continued.

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Microsoft developed the draft code of conduct, which is 37 pages in total, over the last five to six months. Its release comes amid comments by the leaders of major AI labs – OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei – geared toward increasing third-party oversight of AI model development to ensure alignment.

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, told Reuters in an interview that it’s “clearly now time to coordinate among the labs so we can ensure that we have control of this technology.”

Suleyman was asked about efforts to pace the development of AI and added, “Now’s a good time for everybody to have this conversation and take a breath.”