Matt Clifford to leave ARIA before Anthropic role becomes a 'distraction'
MPs welcome move but still want answers over how the conflict of interest was allowed to arise
Matt Clifford is leaving his position as chair of the UK's ARIA, a taxpayer-funded agency, just days after announcing he would stay in the role while working for AI company Anthropic. The decision comes less than a week after his appointment to lead Anthropic's international affairs, raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
In a LinkedIn post, Clifford stated he is stepping down to ensure his new role at Anthropic doesn't distract from ARIA's work. The move reverses the position he initially said he would take when Anthropic announced his appointment last week, and is intended to allow for appropriate safeguards against conflicts. The timing of his departure has drawn criticism, with Labour MP Dame Chi Onwurah questioning how the original arrangement was approved and calling for clarification on the conflict of interest assessments and safeguards in place.
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