New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has scrapped the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), while elevating AI Minister Kanishka Narayan to attend cabinet. DSIT, created by the Conservative government in 2023, will have its responsibilities split across other departments, and the move means there is no longer a dedicated technology secretary, a post previously held by Liz Kendall until Burnham sacked her. The change signals a reshuffling of how technology and AI policy are handled at the heart of government, drawing mixed reactions from industry figures.

Narayan, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, said his elevation reflected the prime minister's "deep commitment to AI's importance," while acknowledging public concerns about jobs and the pace of change. Tech trade body Startup Coalition urged the government not to "take the foot off the pedal" on technology, and academics including Cambridge's Professor Gina Neff and AQL's Professor Adam Beaumont flagged challenges ahead, including AI's impact on jobs and the need for greater energy and computing infrastructure to support the sector.