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The UK's new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has appointed India-born Labour MP Kanishka Narayan as the country's first dedicated Minister for Artificial Intelligence, elevating the role to Cabinet level as part of a wider government reshuffle set in motion by the new PM.
Narayan, who was previously the minister for online safety and AI, will now serve jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business and Trade. According to reports in the BBC and the UK Prime Minister's Office, he will also attend Cabinet meetings, underlining the government's decision to give AI a greater role in policymaking.
Narayan's appointment came as Burnham officially took office on Monday after meeting King Charles the Third at Buckingham, becoming the UK's seventh PM in just over a decade, and the fourth in the current Monarch's reign.
WHO IS KANISHKA NARAYAN, APPOINTED THE UK'S FIRST AI MINISTER?
Born in Bihar's Muzzafarpur, Kanishka Narayan spent his early childhood in Bihar before moving to Delhi and later relocating to Cardiff, capital of Wales, at the age of 12, reported the US-based news outlet, Politico. According to his LinkedIn profile, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford before completing his MBA at Stanford University.
Prior to entering the world of politics, Narayan worked in various roles in both the private and public sectors. In the 2024 general election which saw a Labour government come to power for the first time since 2010, Narayan made history by becoming Wales' first ethnic minority MP after winning the Vale of Glamorgan constituency, reported the BBC.
He entered government in September 2025 after the erstwhile Kier Starmer administration appointed him as the UK's minister of AI and online safety. In his new role under Burnham, Narayan will exclusively oversee the AI domain while attending Cabinet meetings, making a significant elevation in the UK's approach to AI policymaking, noted the news outlet Bloomberg.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF KANISHKA NARAYAN'S AI MINISTRY?
Kanishka Narayan's appointment as AI minister reflects the growing importance of the subject in Britain's economic and industrial agenda,
According to a report in the news outlet, Bloomberg, Burnham has elevated the AI portfolio to the Cabinet level, making Narayan the UK's first minister exclusively focused on AI to participate in Cabinet deliberations. His promotion took place alongside a broader restructuring of the government set in motion by Burnham.
According to the Bloomberg report, Narayan's appointment comes as the UK has been trying to position itself as a global leader in the AI domain by adopting a lighter regulatory framework than its EU counterparts in a bid to attract from global technology firms.
Britain is home to leading AI companies and research institutions, including Google DeepMind, Wayve and ElevenLabs, as well as a strong pool of engineering talent. However, the country's AI ambitions have also faced setbacks. According to Bloomberg, several major digital infrastructure projects, including a planned OpenAI-backed data centre, have either been delayed or abandoned due to high energy costs and regulatory concerns.
Narayan has previously defended Britain's AI strategy, rejecting suggestions that high electricity prices and regulation were discouraging investment in large-scale AI infrastructure, Bloomberg reported.
His appointment also comes as European governments debate "tech sovereignty", that being reducing dependence on American AI companies and building domestic AI capabilities. According to Bloomberg, Burnham and Narayan will now have to define Britain's position on that debate as countries such as France and Germany push for greater European technological independence.
ANDY BURNHAM BECOMES PM, SETS FORTH CABINET RESHUFFLE
Kanishka Narayan's appointment as the AI minister comes after Andy Burnham formally assumed office on Monday after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, becoming Britain's seventh prime minister in just over a decade. He succeeds Kier Starmer, who resigned after losing support of the Labour Party after only two years as PM.
According to the BBC, the new PM reshuffled his Cabinet while retaining several experienced ministers. Former Defence Secretary John Healey was appointed Chancellor, Ed Miliband became Foreign Secretary, Wes Streeting was named Defence Secretary and Shabana Mahmood retained the Home Office. Other key appointments included Jonathan Reynolds as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Stephen Kinnock as Secretary of State for Wales and Hamish Falconer as Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations.
The government also retained prominent Indian-origin minister Lisa Nandy as Culture Secretary, where she will now oversee digital transformation alongside culture, media and sport, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
In his first address at 10 Downing Street, Burnham pledged to deliver a 10-year plan to tackle Britain's cost-of-living crisis, revive industry, devolve more powers from Westminster. He also promised to bring greater political stability after years of leadership changes.
