Matt Clifford to leave ARIA before Anthropic role becomes a 'distraction'
public sector
MPs welcome move but still want answers over how the conflict of interest was allowed to arise
Matt Clifford is stepping down as chair of the UK's taxpayer-funded Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), just days after saying he intended to keep the job while working for AI giant Anthropic.
Clifford, one of the architects of the UK government's AI strategy, said in a LinkedIn post on Monday that he would leave ARIA, less than a week after his appointment as Anthropic's managing director of international affairs prompted warnings of a "clear conflict of interest."
"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," he said.
The decision reverses the position outlined when Anthropic announced Clifford's appointment as managing director of international affairs last week. At the time,...
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