‘Humanist AI’ code of conduct spells out what Microsoft’s AI models should and shouldn’t do, and invites public feedback before a revised version lands later this year.

Microsoft AI has published a draft code of conduct for its AI models, opening a six-week public consultation on the rules it wants to govern their behaviour, from weapons and cybersecurity to emotional dependency.

The document, titled the Humanist AI Code of Conduct, was published yesterday (14 September) and is not currently used to train any AI models. A revised version is due toward the end of the year to guide 2027 model development.

The release comes days after individual researchers at Anthropic raised public concerns about AI risk. Jacob Coxon, who resigned from Anthropic, posted warnings about superintelligence risk on X last week, while Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment science lead, posted that he put the chance of catastrophic AI risk within a decade at greater than 10pc.

It also follows warnings from Anthropic’s Dario Amodei that it might be time to slow AI development, which drew a rare approval from rival OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and a somewhat predictable extreme reaction from the pro-AI US president who described the warnings as a ‘hoax’.

Microsoft’s code of conduct is a corporate governance framework. It sets out four objectives for AI models: maintaining human control and safety; avoiding anthropomorphism; supporting human flourishing; and reflecting plural values across different worldviews without being neutral on harm.

A section on Absolute Constraints prohibits models from assisting with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, conducting offensive cyberoperations, evading human oversight, or engaging in large-scale manipulation.

The document also explicitly rules out any claim by its models to consciousness, feelings or legal personhood, framing this as a design principle rather than a disclaimer. It further prohibits romantic or companion-style AI interactions and the fostering of emotional dependency.

Microsoft says it convened focus groups with members of the public alongside experts in AI, law, ethics and policy while developing the document. The consultation period runs for six weeks from 14 September. Feedback can be submitted via the Microsoft AI website.

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