Clifford to exit ARIA chair by Nov 6 after Anthropic hire flap

Matt Clifford, chair of the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency and author of the government's AI Opportunities Action Plan, will step down from the taxpayer-funded body after Anthropic appointed him its managing director of international affairs. In a LinkedIn post reported by The Register, Clifford said: "Having completed my first full term last month, I have decided to step down to ensure my new role at Anthropic doesn't become a distraction from ARIA's incredible work." The Secretary of State has asked him to remain until November 6 while a new chair is appointed.

He had initially planned to keep both roles "with appropriate safeguards against potential conflicts in place."

That plan did not survive contact with the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. Its chair, Labour MP Dame Chi Onwurah, called the dual appointment a "clear conflict of interest" and said the resignation settles only part of the matter. "It's right that the conflict of interest between the taxpayer funded ARIA and Anthropic has been addressed through Matt Clifford's decision to step down as ARIA's Chair," she said. "However, important questions remain. Last week, I wrote to the government seeking clarity on how this situation arose, what conflict of interest assessments were undertaken and what safeguards are in place to protect confidence in ARIA's governance. I expect a detailed response in the upcoming weeks."

Clifford helped establish the Frontier AI Taskforce, which later became the AI Security Institute, worked on the UK's 2023 AI Safety Summit, and wrote the AI Opportunities Action Plan. Anthropic, the subject of a heavy run in our recent coverage, has been steadily building its policy footprint beyond the US.