LONDON – Rishi Sunak, who served as Britain’s prime minister from 2022 to 2024, has taken up senior advisory roles at U.S. tech giant Microsoft Corp and AI startup Anthropic PBC, according to letters published by the UK’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) on Thursday.
The part-time positions, cleared by Acoba with restrictions, will see Sunak provide strategic insights on macroeconomic and geopolitical trends, with all compensation donated to his charity, The Richmond Project.
Sunak, who remains a member of parliament, follows a path trodden by predecessors like Nick Clegg, who joined Meta Platforms Inc as global affairs president.
The appointments come amid growing scrutiny of former officials’ ties to Big Tech, particularly in AI, where Sunak championed global safety efforts during his tenure.
Appointment Details
Sunak’s role at Microsoft involves offering “high-level strategic perspectives” on global trends intersecting technology and society, according to Acoba’s letter. He will speak at the company’s annual summit but is barred from advising on UK policy matters.
At Anthropic, backed by Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google, Sunak will act as an “internal think tank,” focusing on strategy and geopolitical issues, the watchdog said.
Anthropic, valued at $18.4 billion after a $4 billion raise in March, competes with OpenAI in developing safe AI systems. Its CEO, Dario Amodei, previously warned AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years.
Sunak’s senior political adviser, Liam Booth-Smith, joined Anthropic in June.
Both roles comply with Acoba conditions, including a two-year ban on lobbying UK officials or using privileged information from his premiership.
Company Response
Anthropic welcomed Sunak, stating: “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.”
Microsoft did not immediately comment, but Sunak described the firms as “driving productivity improvements” and “exciting AI frontier labs” in a LinkedIn post.
Sunak added: “We stand on the edge of a technological revolution whose impacts will be as profound as those of the industrial revolution and felt more quickly.”
Broader Context
Sunak’s move reflects the revolving door between politics and Silicon Valley, with UK officials increasingly sought for AI expertise.
During his premiership, Sunak hosted the 2023 Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit, gathering world leaders to address risks like bias and job displacement.
He also launched the UK’s AI Safety Institute in November 2023, the first national body dedicated to frontier AI risks.
Anthropic signed a memorandum with the UK government earlier this year to explore AI opportunities in public services.
Microsoft has major UK investments, including a 2.5 billion pound ($3.3 billion) commitment to cloud and AI infrastructure in 2024.
Sunak previously worked at Goldman Sachs and hedge funds before politics, returning to Goldman as a senior adviser in September 2024.
Challenges
Acoba flagged risks of “unfair access and influence” to UK policy, given Microsoft and Anthropic’s interests in government contracts.
Sunak is prohibited from personal contact with officials on behalf of the companies for two years and must not exploit premiership information.
The watchdog noted AI was a priority under Sunak, but found no evidence of decisions favoring Anthropic specifically. Ethical concerns persist over former leaders monetizing influence, with Acoba criticized for lax oversight in past cases.
Quotes
Sunak said on LinkedIn: “In my role as a senior adviser, I want to help these companies ensure that this shift delivers the improvements in all of our lives that it can.”
Analysts at Barclays noted: “Sunak’s roles underscore the UK’s growing clout in AI governance, potentially attracting more U.S. investment.”
Acoba interim chair Isabel Doverty wrote: “While AI was a significant priority during your premiership, there is no suggestion any decisions or actions were taken in expectation of this role.”
Outlook
Sunak’s roles, part-time and non-lobbying, are expected to last indefinitely, subject to annual Acoba reviews. The appointments could boost UK-U.S. AI ties, with Microsoft pledging 3.2 billion pounds for UK data centers by 2026.
Analysts at Deloitte forecast Sunak’s influence may attract $1 billion in AI investments to Britain by 2027. As AI reshapes economies, ex-leaders like Sunak bridge politics and tech, navigating conflicts between public service and private gain.
