Anthony Butler is a technology strategist, architect, entrepreneur, and writer specialising in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cryptography, digital trust, and economic systems.
Over the past two decades, he has advised governments, regulators, and enterprises across the Middle East and globally on the adoption of artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, cybersecurity, cryptography, and other emerging technologies. His work spans national digital strategies, financial services, sovereign technology, digital identity, AI governance, and large-scale enterprise transformation.
He has held senior leadership and advisory roles in government and industry, including serving as Chief Technology Officer for IBM across the Middle East and Africa’s public sector business and as a Senior Advisor to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). He currently serves as Chief Architect at a Saudi state-owned entity focused on advancing the Kingdom’s leadership in artificial intelligence.
Anthony is a strategic advisor to Rilian and previously advised Chainlink Labs on both traditional and decentralised finance initiatives. He is also the co-founder of Isaacus, a Legal AI company developing specialised foundation models for the legal profession.
He was appointed an IBM Distinguished Engineer — one of the company’s highest technical honours — in recognition of his contributions to emerging technologies. He is an inventor with multiple patents spanning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, distributed systems, cryptography, and digital trust.
His work has included national blockchain strategies, AI governance frameworks, cryptographic and digital trust infrastructure, sovereign digital identity, and Project Aber—the pioneering cross-border central bank digital currency initiative between the central banks of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
He holds a Master of Engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), where his research focused on optimisation in complex distributed systems, and a postgraduate diploma in Strategy and Innovation from the University of Oxford.
Anthony writes about artificial intelligence, economics, technology strategy, digital trust, cryptography, cybersecurity, and the systems that shape markets, governments, and institutions.
The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of any current or former employer.
