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Former UK PM Rishi Sunak to advise Microsoft and Anthropic—ACoBA imposes 2-year lobbying ban; pay to charity

Sunak will advise Microsoft and Anthropic under tight ACoBA guardrails. We explore what this governance move means for Morocco's AI ecosystem.
Oct 11, 2025·6 min read
Former UK PM Rishi Sunak to advise Microsoft and Anthropic—ACoBA imposes 2-year lobbying ban; pay to charity
## Overview TechCrunch reports a notable move in global AI politics. Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has taken advisory roles with Microsoft and Anthropic. The UK's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA) approved both roles with strict conditions. Those guardrails address privileged information, lobbying, and the optics of Big Tech ties. This story matters beyond Westminster. Morocco's AI ecosystem is growing and watching global governance signals. The guardrails set here shape expectations for ethical public-private engagement. They also frame how countries should manage influence in AI procurement and policy. ## What ACoBA approved — and restricted ACoBA cleared Sunak's advisory posts with strong limitations. For two years from leaving office, he cannot lobby the UK government or its arm's-length bodies for either company. He cannot advise on the terms or subject matter of UK government bids or contracts. His remit is limited to high-level strategy focused on macro-economic and geopolitical issues. These roles exclude UK policy advice. They bar use of information not in the public domain. Microsoft and Anthropic told ACoBA the engagements will be ring-fenced away from government work. The scope centers on global strategy, not regulatory battles in Whitehall. ACoBA's Microsoft letter highlights context. Microsoft has extensive ties to UK government procurement. As prime minister, Sunak announced a £2.5 billion Microsoft investment during the AI Safety Summit in November 2023. Microsoft later announced a further £22 billion UK investment in September 2025. Sunak's Microsoft advisory work will include high-level perspectives and speaking at the annual Microsoft Summit. ACoBA's Anthropic letter records a pay commitment that matters for optics. Sunak will donate payments from the Anthropic role to The Richmond Project, a charity he and his wife started earlier in 2025. TechCrunch adds he holds other roles, such as a senior adviser post with Goldman Sachs and speaking engagements with Washington Speakers Bureau. The Guardian first reported the advisory appointments. TechCrunch followed with detailed context from ACoBA's disclosures. The bottom line is clear. The posts exist under unusually tight guardrails for a former head of government. ## Why this matters for Morocco Morocco is building its AI capacity. The country balances innovation with governance and public trust. Sunak's guardrails offer a template for managing influence, access, and perceived advantage. They underscore the importance of transparent boundaries in AI-related advisory work. The lessons are practical and timely. Morocco's public bodies and regulators face pressure to adopt AI responsibly. Clear rules help prevent conflicts and protect procurement integrity. They also ensure global partners engage on fair, level terms. ## Morocco's AI landscape Morocco's ecosystem includes dynamic startups, modern research hubs, and active public institutions. The Commission Nationale de contrôle de la protection des Données à caractère Personnel (CNDP) enforces personal data protections under Law 09-08. CNDP has addressed emerging tech and compliance, which intersects with AI use. The Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform leads digital modernization across government. Public services are increasingly online, improving access and efficiency. AI can strengthen these efforts with analytics, automation, and risk controls. Universities and labs are also moving fast. Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) hosts the Africa Supercomputing Center, which supports data-intensive research and AI workloads. Local technical schools and engineering faculties feed talent into industry. The academic base supports applied AI across agriculture, energy, mobility, and materials. Startups demonstrate practical AI value. ATLAN Space, based in Morocco, develops autonomous systems that use AI for environmental monitoring and maritime missions. SOWIT applies AI to satellite imagery for precision agriculture across Africa, including Morocco. UM6P Ventures and other programs support deep-tech entrepreneurs and applied research spinouts. ## Practical AI uses in Morocco AI is not an abstract concept in Morocco. Practical deployments match national priorities. Water, agriculture, energy, and city services benefit from predictive and adaptive systems. Agriculture faces water stress and climate variability. AI models optimize irrigation schedules, fertilizer application, and yield forecasts. SOWIT exemplifies how satellite data and machine learning guide field decisions. Farmers gain better planning, and resources are used more efficiently. Energy is strategic. AI supports forecasting for solar output, demand peaks, and grid balancing. Predictive maintenance reduces downtime for generation assets and industrial equipment. Data-driven planning improves resilience and cost control. Environmental monitoring is critical for coastlines, forests, and protected areas. AI-powered perception and autonomy enable longer missions and rapid alerts. Systems can flag illegal activities or ecological risks. They support enforcement and conservation strategies. City services and mobility are ripe for optimization. Routing, traffic management, and incident response benefit from near-real-time analytics. AI chatbots can lighten call-center workloads, improve citizen experience, and cut response times. Document processing models streamline permits and service requests. Healthcare is evolving with data-driven tools. Radiology, triage, and resource allocation can gain from safe AI deployment. Human oversight remains essential. Robust privacy and security controls guard sensitive patient data. ## Governance and procurement lessons from ACoBA The ACoBA decision offers concrete guidance for Morocco and peers. - Impose cooling-off periods for officials taking tech advisory roles. - Prohibit lobbying and involvement in public tender terms for a defined time. - Restrict advisory scope to general strategy, away from live national policies. - Require ring-fencing to separate strategic advice from government engagement. - Publish clear disclosures to protect public trust and reduce perceived conflicts. Transparency around compensation matters. Sunak's pledge to donate Anthropic payments to The Richmond Project is a notable choice. It addresses optics while keeping the role within formal limits. Morocco can emulate disclosure norms for similar advisory posts. Data governance is central. CNDP can extend guidance on AI risk, large language models, and automated decision-making. Impact assessments reduce harm and bias. Consistent enforcement maintains credibility with citizens and partners. ## Microsoft, Anthropic, and Morocco Microsoft has a strong footprint across enterprise and public sectors globally. Moroccan organizations use its platforms and services through local partners. Anthropic provides frontier models accessible via APIs, often through cloud marketplaces. These capabilities are relevant to Morocco's AI build-out. Vendor neutrality remains key. Government buyers should avoid lock-in and enforce interoperability. Multi-cloud strategies support resilience and negotiation leverage. Procurement should emphasize open standards and exit clauses. Ring-fencing can apply locally. Separate solution architecture from policy design. Keep frontline civil servants away from vendor-led strategy in regulated areas. Require independent testing before mission-critical deployments. ## Action plan for policymakers and industry Morocco can convert global signals into concrete steps. - Publish AI advisory guardrails modeled on ACoBA's approach. - Define cooling-off periods and lobbying bans for senior officials. - Require disclosures for compensation, remit, and non-use of privileged information. - Create AI sandboxes for agriculture, water, energy, and city services. - Pair sandboxes with CNDP-led privacy and security standards. - Standardize procurement templates for AI outcomes, testing, and monitoring. - Mandate bias and safety testing before large-scale rollouts. - Fund shared datasets with robust governance and audit trails. - Support compute access through national facilities and trusted cloud credits. - Expand talent programs for data science and MLOps. - Offer upskilling tracks for civil servants and sector specialists. - Invest in models and tooling for Arabic and Darija. - Encourage local startups through grants and challenge prizes. - Align insurance and liability frameworks with AI risk levels. ## Building trust while scaling AI Trust is earned through clarity and enforcement. Institutions should set expectations early and keep them visible. Frontline teams need practical playbooks and training. Oversight bodies should measure outcomes and publish results. Public participation strengthens legitimacy. Citizens want better services and fair treatment. Transparent reporting and redress channels matter. Clear audit trails deter misuse and help root-cause incidents. Partnerships should be balanced and evidence-based. Vendors must meet security, performance, and transparency thresholds. Local capacity development should be part of every major agreement. Moroccan organizations should retain ownership of strategy and critical data. ## Bottom line for Morocco Sunak's advisory roles show a maturing approach to AI influence. ACoBA's guardrails limit lobbying, restrict UK policy advice, and block use of privileged information. Enforcement will shape the real impact. Morocco can adapt these principles now. Strengthen governance, build capability, and stay vendor neutral. Encourage applied AI where it solves national priorities. Keep trust at the center of every deployment. ## Key takeaways - ACoBA approved Sunak's roles with a two-year lobbying ban and strict scope limits. - Payments from the Anthropic role will go to The Richmond Project charity. - Microsoft's UK ties and events add optics, but roles are ring-fenced. - Morocco can adopt similar guardrails for AI advisory and procurement. - Practical AI in Morocco should focus on water, agriculture, energy, and city services.

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