AI firm Anthropic has appointed Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar as its first chief global affairs officer to manage relationships with governments and navigate policy challenges. Cuéllar's role comes as the company faces scrutiny and regulatory hurdles from the U.S. government.
Anthropic's appointment of a dedicated global affairs chief signals the increasing importance of navigating complex AI policy and regulation for leading AI developers, especially as governments worldwide grapple with the technology's risks and potential.
Anthropic, the developer of AI models like Claude, has appointed Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar as its first chief global affairs officer. Cuéllar, who will be based in San Francisco, will report to Anthropic President Daniela Amodei and is tasked with managing relationships with the U.S. government and overseeing the company's global expansion amidst evolving AI policy and regulation.
Cuéllar's background includes experience in government and AI policy. He previously served as a special assistant in former President Barack Obama's White House and on Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust. His prior roles also include leading the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and co-chairing a task force on U.S. national security and nuclear proliferation. He also co-led a study that informed California's SB 53 law, which protects AI whistleblowers and requires high-revenue developers to report on standards and incidents.
Cuéllar's appointment comes at a time of significant regulatory scrutiny for AI companies. Anthropic has faced challenges with the U.S. government, including a temporary blacklist of its technology by the Pentagon and an export control directive that banned the sale of its top AI models to foreigners over national security concerns. The company is contesting the Pentagon's designation in court.
Oren Cass, founder of the conservative think tank American Compass, described Cuéllar as a pragmatic and open-minded individual who would engage constructively with the Trump administration on AI policy. Cuéllar himself stated that policymakers are recognizing AI's development and governance have reached a critical "inflection point," emphasizing the need to harness its potential while mitigating risks and inequality.