Indian-origin British politician Kanishka Narayan will lead the United Kingdom Prime Minister’s new Artificial Intelligence Taskforce as the government moves responsibility for AI strategy, public-sector adoption and security closer to the centre of government.
The taskforce will be chaired by former UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser Lord Patrick Vallance, who will report directly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Narayan, who serves as Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and attends Cabinet, will oversee its work alongside Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo.
The UK government said the taskforce would direct and implement its overall AI strategy while supporting economic growth and the transformation of public services. It will also coordinate AI adoption across government departments and examine how the technology can improve the delivery of public services.
Responsibility for the UK AI Security Institute, which evaluates advanced AI systems and associated risks, will move to the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The AI Taskforce will also be based within this office alongside core Cabinet Office functions.
“AI is likely the most significant technology in human history. That is why it is now at the UK Cabinet’s table,” Narayan said.
He added that the taskforce would use Lord Vallance’s scientific and government experience to focus on economic growth, stronger public services and opportunities across different regions of the country.
Narayan was appointed Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence on July 20, 2026. He holds the position jointly in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. He previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from September 7, 2025, until his latest appointment.
Narayan was elected as the Member of Parliament for Vale of Glamorgan in July 2024. His promotion marks the first time that a UK minister dedicated to artificial intelligence has been given a place at the Cabinet table.
Lord Vallance served as the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 2018 and 2023 and played a prominent role in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to chairing the AI Taskforce, he has been appointed Chair of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, which brings together government, businesses and academic institutions to support innovation and regional development.
