Former UK PM Rishi Sunak Pivots To Tech, Joins Microsoft And Anthropic As Senior Adviser
Sunak, who remains a Member of Parliament, is also the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty.
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has taken on senior advisory roles with Microsoft and artificial intelligence (AI) firm Anthropic, marking a significant shift into the technology sector as AI continues to reshape economies and societies worldwide.
Sunak, who remains a Member of Parliament, is also the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty.
Sunak's Role In Tech
In his new part-time roles, Sunak will work with senior executives at both Microsoft and Anthropic, offering “high-level strategic perspectives” on macroeconomic and geopolitical developments and how these interact with technology and society.
According to letters published by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), the government body which reviews post-ministerial appointments, his duties will focus strictly on strategic advice, not government affairs.
“I have long believed that technology will transform our world and play a key part in determining our future,” Sunak said on LinkedIn. “I am excited to help these two companies as they address the big strategic questions about how to make tech work for our economies, our security and our society.”
According to him, Microsoft is a company that has “driven productivity improvements for decades” and he also called Anthropic “one of the most exciting AI frontier labs”.
“We stand on the edge of a technological revolution whose impacts will be as profound as those of the Industrial Revolution and felt more quickly,” he added. “In my role as a senior adviser, I want to help these companies ensure that this shift delivers the improvements in all of our lives that it can.”
No Government Involvement, Says ACOBA
ACOBA has confirmed that Sunak will not engage in any UK policy discussions or have contact with the government. His roles will be “appropriately ring-fenced” to ensure that there is no overlap with his time as prime minister.
Microsoft and Anthropic have each pledged to limit his work to internal strategic matters and have policies in place to avoid conflicts of interest.
Sunak will donate all earnings from these positions to The Richmond Project, which is a charity he and his wife Akshata Murty launched earlier this year to promote numeracy skills among people of all ages.
Anthropic’s Praise For Sunak
In a statement, Anthropic said Sunak was “among the first global leaders to recognise AI’s transformative potential”, noting his role in establishing the world’s first AI Safety Institute and hosting the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in 2023.
“His experience will provide valuable strategic perspective as we work to ensure AI benefits humanity,” the company said. It added that Sunak’s position fully complies with ACOBA’s conditions and is focused on internal company strategy.
Continuing Ties With Finance
This is not Sunak’s only advisory engagement. He further continues to serve as a senior adviser to Goldman Sachs, a position he accepted in July 2025 — his first major role after stepping down as Conservative Party leader following Labour’s landslide victory in the July 2024 general election.
Sunak’s Track Record In AI
As prime minister between October 2022 and July 2024, Sunak made AI policy a central focus of his administration. His government worked closely with Microsoft and Anthropic on the AI Safety Summit in November 2023, during which Microsoft announced a £2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) investment in AI infrastructure and skills over three years.
Building on that, Microsoft last month unveiled an additional £22 billion ($30 billion) commitment to AI infrastructure and operations in the UK over the next four years. Nvidia and Google also pledged further investments in the same period.
Anthropic’s Global Expansion
Anthropic — backed by major investors including Google and Amazon — is rapidly expanding beyond the United States to meet growing demand for its Claude AI models. The company plans to triple its international workforce and grow its applied AI team fivefold this year.
More than 100 new roles will be created across Dublin, London and Zurich, with further European offices expected soon. To lead the global push, former Google and Salesforce executive Chris Ciauri has been appointed Managing Director of International, joining recent hires such as Paul Smith, the firm’s first Chief Commercial Officer, and Liam Booth-Smith, Sunak’s former chief of staff, now Head of External Affairs.
Anthropic also announced plans this week to open its first Indian office in Bengaluru, with co-founder Dario Amodei currently in India meeting government and enterprise leaders to advance responsible AI development that supports social and economic growth.
Last month, the company raised $13 billion at a $183 billion post-money valuation, led by investment firm Iconiq.
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