Artificial intelligence firm Anthropic announced on Friday the appointment of seasoned executive and political affairs figure Chris Liddell to its board of directors.

Liddell previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft and as Vice Chairman of General Motors. He also held the position of White House Deputy Chief of Staff during the first term of President Trump.

Anthropic's invitation for Liddell to join the board may help improve relations with the Trump administration, which has publicly criticized the AI startup on multiple occasions in recent months.

Venture capitalist David Sacks, who currently leads AI and cryptocurrency matters for the Trump administration, accused Anthropic last October of supporting "woke AI" due to the company's stance on regulatory issues.

In a statement released on Friday, Liddell remarked, "My career has taught me that governing transformative technology is as important as the technology itself. Anthropic's commitment to building AI that is both powerful and responsible is critical for our future, which is why I am proud to join the company's board."