Architect of UK's AI strategy joins Anthropic in senior role

Matt Clifford, who stepped down as AI opportunities adviser to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer a year ago, has joined US artificial intelligence company Anthropic as managing director for international affairs. In the role, he will oversee the company's engagement with governments outside the US, including in the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific and India.

Clifford, 41, left the unpaid advisory post six months after his appointment, citing personal reasons. He will continue chairing the UK's government-backed Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) and remain chair of venture capital firm Entrepreneurs First, which he co-founded. He is expected to step back from any Aria matters involving Anthropic.

Anthropic, the maker of the Claude chatbot, is preparing for a stock market listing that could value the company at up to $2tn.

Criticism over 'revolving door'

Tom Brake, chief executive of campaign group Unlock Democracy, said the move shows the 'revolving door' issue applies to advisers as well as ministers, arguing that transferring sensitive government knowledge about AI policy to a private company so soon gives it a major advantage. Crossbench peer Beeban Kidron called for more independent politics that puts citizens' interests first. Labour MP Chi Onwurah, who chairs the science, innovation and technology committee, acknowledged Clifford's significant contribution to AI policy but expressed some concern about the speed of his move to a global AI company.

Clifford follows a well-trodden path of former politicians joining tech firms, including Nick Clegg at Meta, Rishi Sunak advising both Microsoft and Anthropic, and George Osborne joining OpenAI.

Before his government role, Clifford was already a prominent figure in UK tech as co-founder of Entrepreneurs First and represented Sunak at the UK's 2023 AI Safety Summit. An Anthropic spokesperson said the UK is just one of dozens of governments Clifford's team will engage with.