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Kanishka Narayan is the Minister of State (Minister for Artificial Intelligence) jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
Kanishka Narayan is a British Labour Party politician serving as the United Kingdom's first Minister for Artificial Intelligence, a Cabinet-attending position jointly based in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Trade since July 2026. Before assuming this role, he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety between September 2025 and July 2026. He has represented the constituency of Vale of Glamorgan as Member of Parliament since the 2024 UK general election.
Born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, Narayan moved to Cardiff, Wales, during his childhood and later studied at Eton College, Balliol College, University of Oxford, and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to entering Parliament, he worked in the UK Civil Service, investment banking, and technology policy, advising governments, businesses, and technology firms. His public career has combined experience in economic policy, digital innovation, and public administration.
As Minister for Artificial Intelligence, Narayan has overseen initiatives relating to AI adoption, public-sector transformation, research funding, open-source AI, workforce upskilling, and national AI strategy. His ministerial portfolio has focused on strengthening the UK's AI capabilities while supporting economic growth, scientific research, and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence across government and industry.
Kanishka Narayan was born in November 1989 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India. At the age of twelve, he relocated with his family to Cardiff, Wales, where they initially lived in modest accommodation. He attended Cathays High School before earning a scholarship to Eton College, where he completed his secondary education. He later studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Balliol College, University of Oxford, before obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Stanford Graduate School of Business in California. During his university years, he founded Attain Wales, a mentoring initiative designed to support Welsh state-school students applying to leading universities, reflecting his interest in widening educational opportunities.
Following his education, Narayan entered public service through the UK Civil Service. He worked within the Cabinet Office during the premiership of David Cameron before serving in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In these positions, he contributed to policy development and advised ministers on economic and environmental matters. His experience included advising senior government figures and participating in long-term public policy planning, including work connected to the UK's environmental strategy.
Narayan subsequently moved into the private sector, joining the investment bank Lazard, where he advised corporate boards, government finance ministries, and technology companies on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate finance. His work extended across Europe and the United States, with particular exposure to technology businesses and high-growth companies. After completing his MBA at Stanford, he also spent time in Silicon Valley, gaining experience in the technology sector and working alongside entrepreneurs developing businesses in artificial intelligence, financial technology, and climate technology. These experiences broadened his understanding of innovation ecosystems, technology investment, and commercial strategy.
Alongside his professional career, Narayan remained engaged in public and community service. He volunteered with organisations including Citizens Advice and The Trussell Trust, while also maintaining involvement in Labour Party policy development. He has stated that he joined the Labour Party at the age of eighteen and later became Head of Technology Policy for Labour's Shadow Digital team, contributing to the party's positions on technology and digital innovation.
In 2023, following his selection as the Labour Party candidate, Narayan relocated to Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan constituency. At the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he was elected Member of Parliament for Vale of Glamorgan, defeating the incumbent Conservative MP. His election made him Wales' first ethnic-minority Member of Parliament, marking a notable milestone in Welsh parliamentary representation. Shortly after entering Parliament, he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, gaining experience within ministerial government.
On 7 September 2025, Narayan joined the UK Government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. His ministerial responsibilities included AI opportunities, the AI Security Institute, semiconductors, the Intellectual Property Office, online safety, and technology policy supporting economic growth. During this period, he became one of the government's principal advocates for expanding AI adoption across public services and industry while promoting responsible governance of emerging technologies.
As minister, Narayan announced and supported several national AI initiatives. In June 2026, he introduced the Open-Source AI Builder Fund, providing computing resources for developers building public-interest AI applications, alongside a mentoring programme delivered through the government's Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI). He also launched the Open-Source AI Development Board, intended to connect young AI developers with government policymakers. During the same period, he announced the RIBA × DSIT Data Centre Design Challenge, encouraging sustainable and community-oriented data centre development, and introduced new regulatory guidance supporting the safe deployment of collaborative robotics in workplaces.
Narayan also oversaw government investment in advanced AI research. In June 2026, he announced government support of up to £60 million for two new research laboratories led by the University of Oxford and University College London. The laboratories were established to advance open-source AI technologies, develop more efficient AI models, and strengthen the UK's sovereign AI research capabilities. The initiative formed part of the wider UK Research and Innovation AI Strategy, aimed at expanding Britain's long-term research capacity and supporting practical AI adoption across the economy.
In July 2026, Narayan launched the Barnsley Tech Town AI Upskilling Challenge Fund, allocating £800,000 to organisations delivering AI training for workers, businesses, manufacturers, and local communities. The programme sought innovative approaches to workforce development, with successful projects intended to inform similar initiatives nationally. The scheme aligned with the government's objective of equipping 10 million UK workers with AI skills by 2030, supporting productivity improvements and wider AI adoption across industries.
On 20 July 2026, following the appointment of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Narayan was promoted to the newly established position of Minister for Artificial Intelligence, becoming the first person to hold the office. The role, jointly situated within the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Trade, gave AI dedicated representation at Cabinet level. His responsibilities expanded to include overseeing the government's overall AI strategy, promoting public-sector transformation through AI, coordinating AI adoption across departments, and supporting economic growth through digital technologies. He also became responsible for leading the government's AI agenda alongside the newly created Prime Minister's AI Taskforce.
Following his appointment, Narayan worked alongside Lord Patrick Vallance, who was appointed Chair of the Prime Minister's AI Taskforce. Reporting to both the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary, the Taskforce was established to coordinate AI implementation across government, accelerate AI adoption within public services, strengthen national capability, and support economic growth through innovation. Responsibility for the AI Security Institute also transferred into the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet as part of the government's wider institutional reforms.
On 21 July 2026, Narayan was sworn into the Privy Council, entitling him to use the honorific style "The Right Honourable". As Minister for Artificial Intelligence, his public statements have consistently emphasised balancing AI-driven economic opportunity with responsible governance, workforce preparedness, national security, scientific leadership, and the practical adoption of AI across government and industry.
Kanishka Narayan's public policy vision centres on positioning artificial intelligence as a strategic driver of economic growth, public-sector modernisation, scientific research, and national competitiveness. He has consistently argued that governments should actively shape the development and adoption of AI while addressing challenges relating to workforce transition, public trust, security, and responsible deployment. His approach combines investment in AI research, skills development, open-source innovation, digital infrastructure, and public-sector implementation to expand the benefits of artificial intelligence across businesses, communities, and government services throughout the United Kingdom.
Kanishka Narayan's career has been recognised primarily through appointments to senior public offices rather than through external awards. Following his election as Member of Parliament for Vale of Glamorgan in 2024, he became Wales' first ethnic-minority Member of Parliament, representing a significant milestone in the country's parliamentary history. This achievement has been widely noted in political and media reporting as an important development in Welsh political representation.
In September 2025, Narayan was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Online Safety, assuming responsibility for the government's AI opportunities portfolio, online safety, semiconductors, the AI Security Institute, and technology policy. His appointment placed him at the centre of the UK's emerging artificial intelligence strategy during a period of increasing public and governmental focus on AI governance and innovation.
In July 2026, he was promoted to become the United Kingdom's first Minister for Artificial Intelligence, with the role attending Cabinet. The position represented the establishment of a dedicated ministerial office focused exclusively on artificial intelligence and reflected the government's decision to integrate AI policy more directly into Cabinet-level decision-making. Shortly afterwards, he was appointed to the Privy Council, acquiring the lifelong honorific style "The Right Honourable", a constitutional distinction granted to senior members of the UK government.
