Matt Clifford, a technology investor and a key figure in shaping the UK’s artificial intelligence strategy, has joined US-based AI start-up Anthropic as Managing Director, International Affairs – a move that has triggered conflict-of-interest concerns over his decision to remain Chair of the UK government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

Some personal news: I’m joining @AnthropicAI as Managing Director, International Affairs, leading the company’s work with governments outside North America

— Matt Clifford (@matthewclifford) September 2, 2026

Clifford was appointed as an AI Opportunities Adviser by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year but resigned from the unpaid position six months later due to personal reasons.

Despite his new role, Clifford will continue to chair ARIA and Entrepreneurs First, a technology venture firm he co-founded.

Clifford is joining Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar’s team, whom Anthropic appointed as its first Chief Global Affairs Officer in August at a time of escalating U.S. AI regulatory tensions and growing geopolitical pressures.

The appointments come as governments around the world increase their focus on AI governance and regulation.

Based in London, Clifford will lead the company’s engagement with governments outside North America, including in the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific and beyond. He said he would also work closely with Dario Amodei, Daniela Amodei and Anthropic’s leadership.

Explaining his decision to join the company, Clifford said he had spent the past several years working on some of the major questions AI poses to governments and countries.

He said decisions shaping AI’s impact should not be made by any single actor and would require coordination between industry, governments and civil society.

“People everywhere want real agency over how this technology is built and used in their societies, and they should have it,” Clifford said, adding that “Anthropic takes that seriously, which is why I’m joining.”

Dame Chi Onwurah, Chair of the UK Parliament’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, said Clifford had made a “significant contribution” to the development of UK AI policy.

While she said his move to a leading global AI company was “entirely within the rules” and that movement between the public and private sectors should not be discouraged, Onwurah raised concerns over his continued role at ARIA.

She said Clifford’s decision to remain Chair of ARIA created a “clear conflict of interest,” given the agency invests taxpayer money in cutting-edge research, much of it AI-related or AI-enabled. She called for robust safeguards and clear boundaries to protect confidence in ARIA’s independence.

Clifford’s move comes as ties between AI companies and governments face increasing attention, with his decision to remain Chair of ARIA emerging as a central point of debate.

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