Peter Smith
The line between politics and technology is getting blurrier by the day. According to a recent tweet from Evan, Rishi Sunak—who stepped down as UK Prime Minister less than a year ago—is now joining Microsoft and Anthropic as a senior adviser. It's a move that says a lot about where AI is headed: straight into the halls of power, regulation, and international diplomacy.
What Sunak Will Actually Be Doing
Sunak's role centers on AI strategy, regulatory frameworks, and international policy. His economics background and time in government make him well-suited to help both companies deal with increasing pressure from regulators worldwide. Microsoft is doubling down on AI through its OpenAI partnership and Copilot integrations across everything from Word to Azure. Anthropic, the company behind Claude, has quickly become a serious OpenAI competitor, backed by both Amazon and Google. By advising both, Sunak is positioning himself right in the middle of the AI arms race.
Why It Matters
Sunak wasn't just another politician who mentioned AI in passing. He actually hosted the AI Safety Summit back in 2023, bringing together world leaders, researchers, and tech CEOs to talk about real risks—misinformation, bias, autonomous systems making life-or-death decisions. So he's not coming in cold. His jump from Downing Street to Silicon Valley shows just how serious tech companies are about having someone who understands policy at the table, especially as the EU, U.S., and Asia ramp up their regulatory efforts.
Mixed Reactions
Some people see this as smart—giving Microsoft and Anthropic a direct line to how governments think and operate. Others aren't so thrilled. There's the classic "revolving door" concern: former officials leveraging insider knowledge to benefit private corporations, which raises questions about fairness and whose interests are really being served. Either way, it's clear the stakes in AI are higher than ever.
Peter Smith
