The United Kingdom has elevated artificial intelligence to the centre of government by appointing Kanishka Narayan as the country's first Minister for Artificial Intelligence to attend Cabinet. The move comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled a sweeping reorganisation of Whitehall, signalling a stronger focus on AI as part of the government's economic and technology agenda.
Narayan, a Labour Member of Parliament representing the Welsh constituency of Vale of Glamorgan, will serve jointly in the Cabinet Office and the newly formed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST). While he previously held the role of Minister for AI and Online Safety under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Burnham has elevated the position to Cabinet level for the first time, giving AI a more prominent role in cross-government policymaking.
The appointment forms part of a broader restructuring of government departments. Burnham has dissolved the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), merging its responsibilities with the Department for Business and Trade to create DBIST under Jonathan Reynolds. Responsibility for AI policy and the AI Security Institute has shifted to the Cabinet Office, where Narayan will help coordinate AI strategy across government departments.
The restructuring reflects the growing importance governments are placing on artificial intelligence as countries compete to attract investment, develop domestic AI capabilities and establish regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies. The UK is home to several leading AI companies and research institutions, including Google DeepMind, Wayve and ElevenLabs, and has positioned itself as a major hub for AI innovation and venture capital investment.
Narayan brings experience from both government and the private sector. Before entering Parliament, he worked as a civil servant and economic adviser within the UK government and later held roles in venture capital and business advisory. Since entering Parliament, he has been involved in technology, online safety and digital policy, areas that increasingly overlap with AI governance and regulation.
The elevation of the AI portfolio comes as governments worldwide seek to balance innovation with oversight. Policymakers are facing growing pressure to address issues including AI safety, cybersecurity, copyright, workforce transformation and the responsible deployment of advanced AI systems. By giving AI representation at the Cabinet table, the Burnham administration is signalling that artificial intelligence will play a larger role in decisions spanning economic policy, public services and industrial strategy.
The changes have drawn mixed reactions across the UK's technology sector. Some industry leaders have welcomed the decision to raise AI to Cabinet level, arguing it reflects the technology's strategic importance and could improve coordination across government. Others have expressed concern over the abolition of DSIT, warning that folding science and technology into a larger business department could dilute focus on research and innovation during a period of intense global competition in AI.
The appointment comes as countries around the world continue to refine national AI strategies, invest in compute infrastructure and introduce new governance frameworks. For the UK, placing AI directly within Cabinet deliberations marks a significant shift in how the technology will be integrated into government decision-making and economic policy as the country seeks to strengthen its position in the global AI landscape