UK creates first cabinet-level AI role under PM Burnham

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appointed Kanishka Narayan as the UK’s first cabinet-level AI minister, elevating the role from its previous junior status. The promotion places artificial intelligence directly at the heart of the government’s primary decision-making body. Narayan will now oversee a dedicated AI remit that spans the newly created department for business, innovation, science and trade, and the cabinet office.

Elevating the position resolves previous criticisms that the government's technology brief had become too diluted. Since September last year, Narayan had served as a junior minister covering both AI and online safety, a dual mandate that some observers argued lacked the necessary focus. Stripping away the online safety portfolio allows the minister to concentrate entirely on the complex economic and regulatory challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

For the broader European technology landscape, the move formally aligns the UK with France and Canada. Both of those nations have established high-level, dedicated AI ministerial roles over the last few years. Giving AI a permanent seat at the cabinet table is a clear signal to international investors and technology companies that Britain views the technology as a core economic priority, rather than a niche regulatory afterthought.

The departmental restructuring also resulted in the dismissal of Liz Kendall, who served as technology secretary and was Narayan's former boss. Her removal underscores Prime Minister Burnham's intent to reorganise the upper echelons of tech governance. The resulting architecture places a specialised minister at the centre of policy-making, bypassing the traditional secretary of state layer for AI-specific decisions.

The appointment has been broadly welcomed by the technology industry, where Narayan is a popular figure. Matt Clifford, a former government AI advisor, praised the decision on social media. "Fantastic to have Kanishka attending Cabinet as AI minister," Clifford wrote. "He understands the scale and opportunity and has brought great energy and clarity to the role over the last year."

Narayan, a venture capitalist turned MP from Wales, brings a commercial background to the cabinet table. His experience in venture capital suggests a continued governmental effort to balance safety regulations with the market conditions needed to foster domestic AI development. By embedding this specific expertise at the highest level, the UK is positioning itself to navigate the global technology race with a more focused strategic grip.