Sunak Joins Microsoft and Anthropic as Advisor After Premiership

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is making headlines again, this time for his new roles in the tech world. Sunak has accepted senior advisory positions with both Microsoft and the AI firm Anthropic.

New Roles Unveiled

The appointments were revealed through letters published by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba). Sunak's new gigs add to his existing roles as an advisor to Goldman Sachs International and as a speaker for investment firms. These speaking engagements have already earned him over £150,000 per appearance.

Sunak, who served as prime minister from October 2022 to July 2024, is following in the footsteps of other UK politicians who have joined Silicon Valley giants. Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister, now works for Meta (Facebook and Instagram).

Microsoft Deal and AI Summit

Notably, Liam Booth-Smith, Sunak’s former senior political advisor, has also taken on a role with Anthropic. During his time as prime minister, Sunak unveiled a £2.5 billion deal with Microsoft at the Bletchley Park AI summit in November 2023. Microsoft committed to a significant investment in new datacenters. He also met with Bill Gates, whose company pledged another £22 billion in UK investment recently.

Acoba's Approval and Guardrails

Microsoft also holds large contracts with UK government departments. One memorandum involves a yearly spend of £1.4 billion for digital transformation, AI adoption, and cloud services. Acoba approved Sunak’s appointment with specific conditions to prevent potential conflicts of interest.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

Acoba acknowledged the risk that Sunak’s appointment could be seen as offering unfair access and influence within the UK government. This concern is amplified by intense global debate surrounding AI regulation. However, Sunak assured the committee that his role would be internally focused and would not involve lobbying.

Sunak's Perspective

Sunak stated he will provide strategic perspectives on macro-economic and geopolitical trends. He also plans to donate his salaries from both jobs to the Richmond Project, a charity focused on boosting social mobility through numeracy, co-founded with his wife.

Anthropic's Viewpoint

Anthropic, valued at $180 billion, develops AI tools and is a major player in the race for artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI refers to AI with human-level or greater capacities. Anthropic's CEO predicts AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years.

Looking Ahead

Sunak expressed excitement about helping both companies navigate strategic questions concerning technology's role in economies, security, and society. He believes the world is on the brink of a technological revolution as impactful as the industrial revolution.