Rishi Sunak, the former UK prime minister, has taken on advisory roles with US technology giants Microsoft and Anthropic. The appointments were disclosed in letters published by Westminster's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) on Thursday, adding to his existing roles as a senior adviser to Goldman Sachs International and a paid speaker for investment firms.
Sunak, who served as prime minister from October 2022 to July 2024, will provide 'high-level strategic perspectives on macro-economic and geopolitical trends' to Microsoft, the $3.9tn company he previously praised as 'one of the founding fathers of modern technology'. He follows former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg in becoming a paid adviser to a Silicon Valley firm.
Acoba approved the appointments with conditions to prevent conflicts of interest, noting that Sunak's access to information could grant Microsoft an unfair advantage. Sunak has stated he will not advise on UK policy matters and will donate his salaries from both roles to the Richmond Project, a charity he co-founded with his wife to boost social mobility through numeracy.
Anthropic, a $180bn AI startup behind the Claude AI tools, will also benefit from Sunak's experience. Acoba acknowledged that while AI was a priority during Sunak's premiership, there is no evidence he took decisions in expectation of these roles. However, it cited concerns about perceived unfair access and influence amid global debates on AI regulation.
An Anthropic spokesperson welcomed Sunak, highlighting his role in establishing the world's first AI Safety Institute and convening the inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. Sunak's senior political adviser, Liam Booth-Smith, also took a role with Anthropic in June.
