Anthropic taps Trump White House veteran Chris Liddell for board role

Anthropic

• Chris Liddell joins Anthropic's board amid AI policy debates
• Liddell brings experience from Microsoft, GM, and the White House
• Anthropic recently donated $20M to a pro-AI regulation group

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Anthropic has appointed Chris Liddell to its board of directors, adding a seasoned corporate executive and former White House official at a moment when artificial intelligence policy is becoming increasingly politicised in the United States.

Liddell brings a résumé that spans Silicon Valley, Detroit, and Washington. He previously served as chief financial officer of Microsoft, vice chairman of General Motors, and deputy White House chief of staff during President Donald Trump’s first term. He has also participated in three US presidential transition efforts, experience that gives him rare familiarity with both corporate governance and federal power structures.

The appointment is likely to be read as a strategic signal. Anthropic has drawn criticism from figures close to the Trump administration in recent months, particularly around its views on AI safety and regulation. In October, David Sacks, the venture capitalist now serving as the administration’s AI and crypto czar, accused the company of promoting what he described as “woke AI”, citing its support for regulatory oversight.

In a statement announcing his appointment, Liddell emphasised the importance of governance alongside technical progress. He said his career had taught him that the oversight of transformative technologies matters as much as the technologies themselves, and described Anthropic’s focus on building AI systems that are both capable and responsible as critical for the future.

The board move follows another politically notable step by the company. Earlier this week, Anthropic disclosed that it would contribute $20 million to Public First Action, a political group that backs candidates supportive of AI regulation, including Republican senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. The donation underlines Anthropic’s willingness to engage directly in the policy process at a time when regulatory frameworks are still being defined.

In December, Trump signed an executive order aimed at pushing toward a single national framework for AI regulation. The order also established a litigation task force designed to challenge state-level AI laws, many of which have been advanced by Democratic lawmakers. That backdrop has heightened the stakes for AI companies seeking to influence how rules are written and enforced.

Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives and researchers, and is best known for its Claude family of AI models. On Thursday, the company announced that it had closed a $30 billion funding round at a $380 billion post-money valuation, placing it among the most valuable private technology firms in the world.

Liddell becomes the sixth member of Anthropic’s board, joining CEO Dario Amodei, president Daniela Amodei, and Netflix chairman Reed Hastings, among others. Board members are selected by shareholders as well as Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent governance body designed to ensure the company balances commercial goals with broader societal considerations.