Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomePMN BusinessBurnham Picks Narayan as First UK AI Minister to Attend CabinetNew British premier Andy Burnham has named Kanishka Narayan as minister for artificial intelligence, promoting the role to attend the prime minister’s cabinet for the first time.Author of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Kanishka Narayan Photographer: Carlos Jasso/Bloomberg Photo by Carlos Jasso /Bloomberg(Bloomberg) — New British premier Andy Burnham has named Kanishka Narayan as minister for artificial intelligence, promoting the role to attend the prime minister’s cabinet for the first time. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorBurnham separately appointed Jonathan Reynolds as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, dissolving the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, or DSIT, and merging it with the Department for Business and Trade that Reynolds had previously overseen. The Culture Department will also expand, overseeing digital transformation and online harms which had also been a part of DSIT.Narayan, a Labour politician from Wales, was appointed minister for AI and online safety in September 2025 under Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer. As a junior minister, he served under technology secretary Liz Kendall, who was ousted by Burnham on Monday alongside senior ministers who served under Starmer.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe UK’s artificial intelligence strategy is being watched closely beyond its borders. It’s home to a swath of venture capitalists, prominent AI operators — including Google DeepMind and startups like ElevenLabs and Wayve — as well as a coveted engineering talent pool. After Brexit, the country tried positioning itself as a welcome hub for overseas tech investment, with a lighter regulatory touch than the European Union.Still, Britain’s leaders have faced criticism for flip-flopping on tech initiatives and under-investing in computing resources. Some marquee digital infrastructure projects, including a planned OpenAI data center, have been shelved or put on hold, in part because of the country’s high energy prices.Britain isn’t the first G7 nation to appoint a high-level AI minister, with France and Canada establishing similar roles over the last two years.Burnham, who took over on Monday after Starmer resigned this summer, has said little about his AI and tech strategy.He and Narayan will be forced to take a position on the tech sovereignty debate in Europe. Officials in France and Germany want the continent to rely as little as possible on models and software from Silicon Valley, a call fueled by Washington’s willingness to cut off foreign access to cutting-edge models.DSIT was formed in 2023 by Starmer’s predecessor, Conservative leader Rishi Sunak. The department has backed research programs in quantum computing and clean energy. It also set up AI Growth Zones, designated areas for building data centers with approval processes and access to power. One of the first big projects — a campus from OpenAI and British cloud provider Nscale — hit a snag earlier this year after the ChatGPT creator pulled out, citing regulation and high energy costs. At the time, Narayan pushed back on the idea that Britain’s rules and electricity prices were prohibitively high for large data centers.The department oversaw the creation of the Sovereign AI Fund, a €500 million ($571 million) state-backed venture unit that has invested in a handful of British AI companies, including Ineffable Intelligence — a new AI model developer from a DeepMind alum and Alphabet Inc.’s Isomorphic Labs. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.