UK appoints first cabinet AI minister

In his first major government reshuffle, new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has elevated Kanishka Narayan to the cabinet as the United Kingdom's first dedicated minister for artificial intelligence. The promotion, confirmed on July 21, 2026, grants AI its first seat at the cabinet table and coincides with a sweeping reorganization of Whitehall departments.

Narayan, the 36-year-old Labour MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, was previously a junior minister for AI and online safety. He will now attend cabinet meetings, serving jointly within the Cabinet Office and the newly formed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. His elevation signals the new administration's intent to place AI policy at the center of government. Narayan stated that Burnham asking him to attend cabinet showed the prime minister's deep commitment to AI's importance.

The restructuring dissolves the standalone Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which had overseen Britain's AI strategy. Its remit has been folded into the expanded business department led by Jonathan Reynolds, while digital duties and online safety move to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,...