Former Justice Cuellar joins Anthropic as global affairs chief

Former California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar has joined Anthropic as chief global affairs officer, the artificial intelligence company announced Tuesday.

In the role, Cuellar will lead Anthropic's global policy and government relations efforts as the company faces high-profile disputes with the Trump administration.

Cuellar said his new role comes at a pivotal moment as governments grapple with the policy and security questions raised by the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

"Policymakers in the U.S. and around the world are increasingly realizing that we are at a critical inflection point when it comes to how we govern and develop artificial intelligence. The choices we make today will determine whether humanity can harness extraordinary possibilities to advance science and improve lives across the world or face enormous risk and growing inequality," Cuellar said in a statement.

Cuellar, a Jerry Brown appointee, served on the state's highest court from 2015 to 2021.

Prior to that, he spent nearly 15 years teaching law at Stanford University, where he earned his Ph.D. in political science. He also served as a special assistant to then-President Barack Obama on judicial policy.

Despite having never served as a judge before his appointment, Cuellar--who is married to 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Lucy H. Koh--earned a reputation as a pragmatist during his time on the court.

According to former Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, who served alongside Cuellar throughout his tenure, he will bring the calm temperament and problem-solving skills that defined his judicial service to the new role.

"You couldn't ask for a better colleague and leader than Tino," Cantil-Sakauye told the Daily Journal in an email. "He's an innovative, big idea thinker who is also focused on detail and successful execution. On difficult cases and issues at the Supreme Court, he was a problem solver and a peace maker who could put everyone at ease as well as bring down the temperature in the room."

Since leaving the state Supreme Court, Cuellar led the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international affairs think tank, before stepping down last month.

Cuellar joins Anthropic as the company faces two disputes with the Trump administration. Anthropic has an ongoing dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense--currently before U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin in San Francisco--over the department's decision to designate the company as a supply chain risk throughout the federal government after Anthropic opposed the use of its technology for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.

Meanwhile, the company announced in April that a version of its Claude AI model, known as "Mythos," had identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities in several major websites and operating systems.

In June, the Trump administration ordered Anthropic to restrict foreign nationals' access to its most advanced AI models, citing national security concerns. Anthropic said it disabled access to those models in response.

Anthropic President Daniela Amodei praised Cuellar for his "thoughtfulness, pragmatism, and deep commitment to the common good," saying he is uniquely qualified to help governments and the company navigate the challenges posed by advanced AI.

"At all levels of government, the law, and academia, Tino has served with sound judgment and civic-mindedness, and we're looking forward to him putting these principles to work at Anthropic," Amodei said in a statement. "I can't think of anyone better prepared to partner with governments, civil society, and community groups as they engage with both the risks and opportunities presented by advanced AI."

Cuellar said the interplay between governments and artificial intelligence will shape how the technology develops.

"Democracies must set the terms on which this technology advances, and there is no more consequential place to be shaping that work right now than Anthropic," Cuellar said.