Crossing ponds: Former UK PM Rishi Sunak joins Microsoft and Anthropic as AI adviser

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has secured advisory roles with Microsoft and AI startup Anthropic, marking his latest high-profile positions since leaving office in July 2024. The appointments raise questions about potential conflicts of interest given his previous government dealings with both companies, though regulatory approval came with conditions to prevent unfair advantage.

What you should know: Sunak will serve as a senior adviser to both the $3.9 trillion tech giant Microsoft and San Francisco-based Anthropic, an AI company valued at $180 billion.

• The roles emerged through letters published by Westminster’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), a regulatory body that oversees post-ministerial employment.
• Sunak plans to donate his entire compensation from both positions to the Richmond Project, a numeracy-focused social mobility charity he founded with his wife earlier this year.
• His former senior political adviser, Liam Booth-Smith, also joined Anthropic in June.

The regulatory concerns: Acoba approved the appointments despite acknowledging significant risks around conflicts of interest and unfair access.

• The committee noted “there are risks associated with your access to information that may grant Microsoft an unfair advantage,” given the company’s £1.4 billion annual government contracts for digital transformation and AI services.
• For Anthropic, regulators expressed “reasonable concern that your appointment could be seen to offer unfair access and influence within the UK government” during intense global debates over AI regulation.
• Both approvals came with guardrails requiring Sunak to avoid UK policy matters and lobbying activities.

His government connections: Sunak’s relationships with both companies date back to his time in office from October 2022 to July 2024.

• He unveiled a £2.5 billion Microsoft deal at the Bletchley Park AI summit in November 2023, calling the data center investment “historic,” and held meetings with co-founder Bill Gates.
• Microsoft committed an additional £22 billion in UK investment last month, though the government’s competition watchdog initially blocked Microsoft’s Activision acquisition in 2023 before it was restructured.
• Sunak established the world’s first AI Safety Institute and convened the inaugural AI Safety Summit, positioning himself as an early advocate for AI governance.

What they’re saying: Both companies emphasized Sunak’s AI leadership credentials in welcoming the appointments.

• “He was among the first global leaders to recognize AI’s transformative potential, establishing the world’s first AI Safety Institute and convening the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park,” an Anthropic spokesperson said.
• Sunak told regulators he will provide “high-level strategic perspectives on macro-economic and geopolitical trends” without advising on UK policy matters.

The broader context: Anthropic represents a frontrunner in the race toward artificial general intelligence alongside Google DeepMind and OpenAI.

• CEO Dario Amodei predicted earlier this year that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years.
• Sunak joins other former political leaders in Silicon Valley advisory roles, following Nick Clegg’s tenure as Meta’s president of global affairs.
• His speaking engagements with US investment firms including Bain Capital and Makena Capital have already netted him over £150,000 per talk, adding to his Goldman Sachs International advisory role.

In plain English: Artificial general intelligence (AGI) refers to AI systems that can perform any intellectual task that humans can do—essentially matching or exceeding human-level intelligence across all areas rather than just specific tasks like playing chess or recognizing images.