Former UK PM Rishi Sunak Joins Microsoft, Anthropic as Senior Adviser

Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has accepted part-time senior adviser roles with Microsoft and AI research firm Anthropic, offering “high-level strategic perspectives” on macroeconomic and geopolitical trends as both companies scale their enterprise and international AI efforts. Sunak said he is “excited to help these two companies as they address the big strategic questions about how to make technology work for our economies, our security and our society.”

What the advisory roles will cover and the limits

According to letters published by the UK government’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), Sunak’s work will be internally focused and limited to strategy advice; he is barred from lobbying the UK government or advising on specific UK policy matters. Both companies said the roles will be “appropriately ring-fenced” to avoid conflicts of interest and comply with ACOBA conditions. Sunak has pledged to donate any payments from these appointments to The Richmond Project, a charity he and his wife founded earlier this year. 

Anthropic described Sunak as “among the first global leaders to recognise AI’s transformative potential”, noting his role in establishing the world’s first AI Safety Institute and convening the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. The company said Sunak’s experience will provide useful strategic perspective as it works to ensure AI benefits humanity. 

Both Microsoft and Anthropic are deepening enterprise offerings and expanding international footprints. Microsoft has already invested heavily in AI infrastructure and product integrations across its cloud and productivity stack; Anthropic is scaling globally, planning new offices and hiring to meet demand for its Claude models. Sunak’s advisory role gives both firms access to a senior policymaker’s perspective on geopolitics, regulation and national security areas that matter as AI moves from R&D labs into regulated workplaces.

Industry watchers say the hire signals how tech firms are seeking strategic counsel to navigate regulatory scrutiny and geopolitical risks as they roll out AI at scale. At the same time, the arrangement highlights ongoing tensions over the revolving door between government and technology companies — a point ACOBA sought to manage by imposing restrictions on contact with government and requiring ring-fencing.

Implications for India and Anthropic’s expansion

Anthropic is actively expanding beyond the U.S.: the company announced plans to open its first India office in Bengaluru in early 2026 and is tripling international hiring to support increased demand for Claude. Sunak’s advisory role at Anthropic therefore coincides with the firm’s push into markets where policy, talent and commercial partnerships will be crucial. For Microsoft, the strategic counsel comes as it continues to embed AI across enterprise products and cloud services. 

Points to watch

• How will both firms operationalise ACOBA’s ring-fencing in practice and ensure Sunak has no contact with UK ministers?

• Will access to a former prime minister accelerate Anthropic’s regulatory engagement or commercial partnerships in markets such as India and Europe? 

• How will watchdogs and the public scrutinize the broader trend of senior politicians advising major tech companies on high-stakes AI policy?

Rishi Sunak’s appointments reflect the growing intersection of geopolitics, regulation and commercial AI deployment. For Microsoft and Anthropic, the move provides senior strategic counsel at a time of rapid international expansion; for observers, it underscores the need for clear safeguards when former policymakers join powerful tech firms. Sunak’s pledge to donate fees to charity addresses one public-interest concern, but ACOBA’s restrictions and the firms’ stated ring-fencing will be key to how the arrangement is judged over time.