Ex-British PM Rishi Sunak joins Microsoft and Anthropic as senior advisor on global AI strategy

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has formally joined U.S. tech giant Microsoft and leading AI safety startup Anthropic as a part-time senior advisor. The appointments, confirmed by the UK's ethics watchdog, mark the latest high-profile move by a former government leader into the rapidly growing artificial intelligence sector.

Sunak, who served as Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024 and remains a Member of Parliament, will leverage his deep experience in global policy and technology governance to advise the two companies.

The role of geopolitics and AI

The former Prime Minister was a vocal proponent of AI regulation and safety during his time in office, having hosted the first-ever international AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in 2023. His new roles are expected to focus on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and global policy:

• Microsoft: Sunak will provide "high-level strategic perspectives on macro-economic and geopolitical trends" and how they intersect with technology and society. The advice will assist Microsoft as it continues its massive investment in AI infrastructure and integration worldwide.

• Anthropic: For the Amazon and Google-backed AI firm, which focuses on building "safe" AI systems, Sunak's role is described as being "akin to operating as an internal think tank," focusing on global AI safety, innovation, and regulatory trends.

Strict ethical guardrails imposed

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), the independent body that oversees new private-sector roles for former ministers, approved the appointments but issued strict conditions to prevent conflicts of interest:

Lobbying ban: Sunak is prohibited from lobbying or making contact with U.K. ministers or government officials on behalf of either Microsoft or Anthropic for two years from his last day in office.

• Contract ban: He cannot advise either company on any bids for U.K. government contracts.

• Information usage: He is barred from drawing on any privileged information gained during his time as Prime Minister.

Proceeds donated to charity

In a commitment to transparency, Sunak announced that the financial proceeds from both his Microsoft and Anthropic advisory positions will be donated in full to The Richmond Project, a charity he co-founded with his wife, Akshata Murty, focused on improving numeracy education in the UK.

Sunak's move follows his previous return to the financial sector in July, when he took on a separate advisory role at his former employer, Goldman Sachs International.

His shift to Silicon Valley-linked roles underscores the increasing demand for high-level political expertise within the technology sector as governments worldwide grapple with the challenges of regulating frontier AI.