The UK government has confirmed plans to dissolve the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), folding most of its responsibilities into the Department of Business and Trade, to form the new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

However, AI minister Kanishka Narayan is to join the cabinet under new prime minister Andy Burnham, a move Narayan said was “sign of his deep commitment to AI’s importance”.

The DSIT was formed in 2023 under the Conservative Sunak government, and its dissolution means there will no longer be a dedicated department for technology.

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Shift in priorities