Kanishka Narayan is a UK Member of Parliament who was appointed the United Kingdom's first dedicated AI minister on July 20, 2026, and elevated to cabinet in the same reorganization under Prime Minister Andy Burnham that abolished the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) (Source: techieray.substack.com; bbc.com).
Role
Narayan had held the AI ministerial brief within DSIT before the reorganization. The destination of the former DSIT AI portfolio — including sponsorship of the UK AI Security Institute and ownership of the delayed UK AI Bill — was not detailed in initial reporting on the reshuffle.
Relationships
- related: CDEI and DSIT (UK) — held the AI brief in the department abolished in the July 2026 reorganization.
- related: UK AI Safety Institute (AI Security Institute) — agency within the former DSIT portfolio.