Anthropic appoints Matt Clifford to lead international government affairs
The London-based role will put the former UK AI policy adviser in charge of Anthropic's government engagement outside North America, spanning Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other markets
Matt Clifford has joined Anthropic as Managing Director, International Affairs, leading the company's government engagement outside North America
Anthropic has appointed Matt Clifford as Managing Director, International Affairs, giving the British technology investor and former UK government AI adviser responsibility for the company's work with governments outside North America.
Clifford will be based in London and work across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions. He joins the team led by Mariano-Florentino "Tino" Cuéllar, who recently joined Anthropic and is overseeing its international engagement.
The appointment brings someone who has worked on both sides of the technology-policy relationship into a senior role at one of the major AI labs. Clifford co-founded Entrepreneurs First, chairs the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), and has advised the UK Government on AI policy and strategy.
In 2023, he served as the Prime Minister's Representative for the AI Safety Summit, leading UK preparations and negotiations for the international gathering at Bletchley Park. Cuéllar also credits him with helping design the taskforce that became the UK's AI Safety Institute and authoring the AI Opportunities Action Plan.
Clifford said on LinkedIn that his new role would focus on how governments influence the development and use of artificial intelligence.
"I've spent the last few years working on some of the big questions that AI poses to governments and countries," he wrote. "It's clear that the decisions that will shape AI's impact shouldn't be made by any one actor - it will take industry, governments and civil society working together."
He added: "People everywhere want real agency over how this technology is built and used in their societies, and they should have it. Anthropic takes that seriously, which is why I'm joining."
From UK AI policy to a global lab
Clifford's move follows several years of increasingly direct involvement in public AI policy.
Alongside his work on the 2023 AI Safety Summit, he has continued to chair ARIA, the publicly funded research and development agency. He will remain Chair of both ARIA and Entrepreneurs First while stepping back from his other commitments to focus on Anthropic.
Cuéllar said Clifford's combination of technology-building and government experience was central to the appointment.
"Few people have both built in this industry and helped shape the public institutions that govern it," Cuéllar wrote on LinkedIn.
He added that Clifford would help Anthropic engage with governments "across the globe" as countries make decisions about AI development and adoption.
Clifford's move also places him among a growing group of prominent British political and technology figures taking roles with major AI labs. George Osborne has joined OpenAI, while Tom Blomfield and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have joined Anthropic.
