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Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Politics

AI Minister Role Boosted, UK Tech Department Axed

Kanishka Narayan will attend Cabinet, but DSIT is dissolved after two years.

Talivio News · Global 1 min read
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In a restructuring, Kanishka Narayan will attend Cabinet and the AI minister role is boosted. However, Narayan will no longer have the leadership of a technology secretary.

The UK government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is axed after two years. Digital transformation duties are transferred to a reborn Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Government Digital Service (GDS) goes along with the transition.

Updates

Kanishka Narayan has become the first UK AI minister to attend cabinet meetings. Meanwhile, tech industry leaders and advocates have expressed alarm over the decision to scrap the technology department, warning that the move risks slowing down policymaking processes.

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Sources

  1. BBCAI minister role boosted but tech department axed in Burnham shake-up (opens in a new window)
  2. theregister.comUK.gov's tech department gets the chop after two years (opens in a new window)
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