Matt Clifford to step down as ARIA chair

Advanced Research and Invention Agency chair Matt Clifford has announced that he will leave the role in November.

His appointment last week as managing director for international affairs at AI company Anthropic drew criticism over possible conflicts of interest, from House of Commons science committee chair Chi Onwurah among others. Clifford, who has also served as prime ministerial advisor on AI and led the development of the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, had originally said he would stay on at ARIA.

He will now only remain for a brief transitionary period while a successor is identified:

“The Secretary of State has asked me to stay on for a short transitory period until 6 November to allow BIST to launch a process to select a new Chair. I’ve agreed to do this, with appropriate safeguards against potential conflicts in place. We will kick off the search shortly – it may well be the best non-executive job in the world, so I know we will find someone brilliant!”

ARIA is currently in the process of recruiting its third cohort of programme directors. New chief executive Kathleen Fisher will appear before the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee later this week.