Anthropic taps ex-Microsoft CFO, Trump aide Liddell for board

In a significant move for the artificial intelligence landscape, Anthropic has announced the appointment of Chris Liddell to its board of directors. Liddell, who has held prominent positions such as CFO of Microsoft and vice chairman of General Motors, previously served as deputy chief of staff during Donald Trump's presidency. His extensive political experience includes participation in three presidential transition cycles, a detail highlighted on his personal website. This strategic addition to Anthropic's board may help the AI startup navigate the political waters, especially considering recent criticisms from the Trump administration. David Sacks, a venture capitalist and AI advisor to the administration, previously accused Anthropic of promoting 'woke AI' due to its regulatory stance. Liddell expressed his enthusiasm for joining Anthropic, stating, "My career has taught me the governance of transformative technologies matters as much as the technologies themselves. Anthropic's approach—building AI that's both capable and responsible—is critical for our future, and it's why I'm proud to be joining the company's Board." In a related development, Anthropic announced a $20 million contribution to Public First Action, which supports candidates advocating for pro-AI regulations, including Republican figures such as Marsha Blackburn and Pete Ricketts. This comes on the heels of an executive order signed by Trump in December to establish a unified regulatory framework for AI, which targets state laws initiated by Democratic lawmakers. Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives, Anthropic is renowned for its Claude family of AI models. Recently, the company closed a staggering $30 billion funding round, achieving a post-money valuation of $380 billion. Liddell's appointment marks him as the sixth member of Anthropic's board, joining notable figures including CEO Dario Amodei and Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings. The selection of board members is governed by stockholders and the Long-Term Benefit Trust, ensuring an independent oversight structure.