UK PM Andy Burnham abolishes the Department for Science, Innovation, and Tech and elevates UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, who oversees AISI, to attend cabinet
The move reverses the 2023 decision to create a standalone science and technology department, returning technology governance to a broader government reorganization while raising the political standing of the minister responsible for AISI.
It follows a sequence in which the UK shifted its institute from AI safety toward AI security and directed the Turing Institute toward national-security and defense priorities. Cabinet access gives that portfolio a more direct route into cross-government decisions.
First-order effects
DSIT ceases to be the dedicated ministerial home for science, innovation and technology, forcing its responsibilities and staff to be reassigned elsewhere in government.
Kanishka Narayan gains cabinet-level access while retaining oversight of AISI, increasing the visibility of AI-security considerations in top-level policy coordination.
Second-order effects
Departments inheriting DSIT functions will need to coordinate more closely with the AI minister on overlapping technology, innovation and security agendas.
AISI and organizations working with government on AI may see the cabinet-level minister become a more consequential policy counterpart, especially where AI intersects with security and defense priorities.
Third-order effects
The reorganization points to a governance model in which AI is handled less as a standalone innovation remit and more as a cross-government strategic and security issue; its durability depends on how DSIT's former functions are redistributed.
If cabinet representation persists alongside the security-oriented mandate, the UK could concentrate more influence over AI policy in ministerial coordination and specialized state institutions rather than a dedicated technology department.
The trend: UK AI governance is moving toward cabinet-level, security-linked coordination rather than a separate departmental technology structure.
The Prime Minister, @andyburnham, today asked me to attend Cabinet as Minister for AI, a sign of his deep commitment to AI's importance. AI is likely the most significant technology in human history. Its impact will dwarf other things. The best case for it is compelling beyond
The promotion of @KanishkaNarayan to a cabinet-level AI role is welcome. AI policy cuts across public services, national security, industrial strategy and regulation, so giving the Cabinet Office a central role makes sense. But, as I've told @mhbergen at @technology, the logic [i…
Really positive development - @KanishkaNarayan is fantastically capable and credible on AI. Key question is indeed what levers he will have in his new role, as well as whether HMG keep excellent teams in AISI, No 10 etc, well-empowered in the new structure
As much as I would have liked to keep DSIT, the decision to move AI to OPMC (and not DCMS) is great! Demonstrates a clear understanding of the distinctions between how government needs to approach AI policy vs digital policy vs social media policy.
Personalities aside, the shape of Burnham's new govt is a mess. His instinct that he needs a strong Office of the Prime Minister is right. But his new model falls well short of what is needed, adds additional dysfunction in places, and sends a confused signal about who's in
One advantage to the reshuffle — Narayan's had online safety stripped from his brief (that's now with DCMS). I've always thought that was an annoying and hyper-political distraction (he had to go on TV to talk about whether we should ban VPNs...). Good that he can just focus on
SCOOP: Burnham to create an AI Taskforce in CO and the PM's office, overseen by Kanishak Narayan. AISI also moving to CO/No. 10. Plenty of outstanding questions, like whether taskforce will have levers over stuff like copyright, SovAI, compute etc https://pro.politico.eu/...
When Burnham floated the DSIT breakup, the tech response was swift and furious. This is the best possible answer to that that criticism. A single minister with convening power, positioned to pull 4-5 different departments with competing priorities into one coherent AI strategy.
There was a lot of capital spent over the weekend by industry lobbying for DSIT to continue but arguably Kanishka attending Cabinet and rising up the ranks to a more prominent position in the new office is more beneficial than he previously had and it should be welcomed by all.
Looks DSIT has been abolished, though no official announcement yet Science policy goes to business department Tech and digital back to DCMS, a relatively low profile department, apparently in a split with Cabinet Office AI minister Kanishka Narayan will attend cabinet though
Reliably informed that the decision to scrap DSIT originated in the Cabinet Office, where Antonia Romeo wants to have control over AI - although of course it was signed off by Team Burnham, who don't see AI as a major priority Apparently this goes right back to Starmer's
Kanishka Narayan has been appointed as Minister of State (Minister for Artificial Intelligence) jointly in the @cabinetofficeuk and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. He will attend Cabinet. [video]
Some personal thoughts on the breaking up of DSIT from a national security point of view. 1. DSIT - The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology - hosts the AI Security Institute (AISI). This is a unit still poorly understood by most of Westminster. DSIT is reportedly [i…
This is a Europe-wide first. The UK is the first European country to have a Cabinet level position for AI. In itself this would be great news. The fact that @KanishkaNarayan is the minister is fantastic. CONGRATS
Looking like Kanishka Narayan will stay on as AI Minister and be elevated to Cabinet. Question is which department he'll operate out of — Cabinet Office?
“Don't see AI as a major priority”. Can you imagine a Singaporean politician thinking this? Can you imagine a businessperson thinking this? We are governed by utter Luddites
Possibly the best news to come out of the reshuffle. The UK becomes the first major economy to have a cabinet-level AI minister, and there's no one better to do it than @KanishkaNarayan
No 10 has corrected previous announcement, saying Narayan will be in new DBSIT and Cabinet Office Doesn't suggest great attention to the detail of this reorganisation
Fantastic to have Kanishka attending Cabinet as AI minister. He understands the scale and urgency of the opportunity and has brought great energy and clarity to the role over the last year.
The argument for abolishing DSIT because AI policy needed to come from somewhere with more clout seems pretty reasonable? The argument against it because people will have to get a new email address didn't.