영국의 AI 성장존(AI Growth Zones) 계획의 설계자였던 맷 클리퍼드가 이해상충 우려를 제기한 후 앤트로픽에 합류했다.

Matt Clifford is joining generative AI firm Anthropic as its managing director of international affairs. Clifford was behind the January 2025 AI Opportunities Action Plan, developed for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) under the Keir Starmer administration. The initiative led to the creation of AI Growth Zones, a framework designed to encourage data center development in specific areas.

Significant changes have unfolded over the past year and a half, with Starmer out and DSIT closed and merged into the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. Following a period of uncertainty about the future of the growth zone program, government officials confirmed to DCD that the team now reports to UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan.

Clifford also served as the founding chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). Somewhat styled after the US’ DARPA, the agency aims to help fund UK R&D through "moonshot" programs. Reflecting on his transition, Clifford wrote on LinkedIn: "I've spent the last few years working on some of the big questions that AI poses to governments and countries. 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. 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." He added: "I'll be based in London and working with governments across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and beyond. I’ve been fortunate to get to know Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar over the last three years and am excited to join his team and to work closely with Dario, Daniela [Amodei] and Anthropic’s leadership to bring the benefits of AI to the world."

In a controversial decision, Clifford indicated he plans to remain chair of ARIA. Dame Chi Onwurah, head of the House of Commons science, innovation and technology committee, stated that the group "invests taxpayer money in cutting-edge research - much of it AI-related or AI-enabled - [which] creates a clear conflict of interest." Anthropic clarified that Clifford would step back from any matter involving the company at ARIA, but Onwurah called on the AI minister to get involved.

Clifford follows a number of UK political figures who have joined US Big Tech. Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg joined Meta in 2018, while last year saw former prime minister Rishi Sunak take advisory roles at Microsoft and Anthropic, and ex-chancellor George Osborne join OpenAI to work on Stargate.