The United Kingdom has appointed an Indian born Member of Parliament Kanishka Narayan asi its first Cabinet-level Minister for Artificial Intelligence. This is the first time the country’s AI portfolio has been elevated to a Cabinet-attending position. For the unversed, Naryan was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar and will now oversee the UK’s AI strategy as part of a wider government reshuffle.
Soon after taking charge, Narayan revealed that his first official as AI minister was with Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. Responding on X, Hassabis congratulated Narayan, saying that the appointment is positive news for the UK’s AI ecosystem. Narayan later said their discussion centered on translating Britain’s AI leadership into economic growth and employment.
Narayan was born in Bihar in 1989 before moving to New Delhi with his family. At the age of 12, he relocated to Cardiff, Wales, where his parents worked minimum-wage and night-shift jobs after settling in the UK. He later secured a scholarship to Eton College, before earning a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from the University of Oxford. He also completed an MBA at Stanford University.
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Before entering politics, Narayan worked in investment banking, venture capital and public policy, focusing on technology, fintech and artificial intelligence. He also served as a civil servant and advised the UK government on economic policy.
Narayan stepped into politics with the Labour Party and was elected as the MP for Vale of Glamorgan in 2024, becoming Wales’ first ethnic minority Member of Parliament. After Labour’s return to power, he served as a junior minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology before being promoted to lead the government’s newly created AI portfolio.
As AI minister, Narayan will reportedly oversee the AI policy, support the country’s semiconductor ambitions, AI Security Institute and drive investment across the UK’s technology sector.