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Science leaders comment on science moving into the Department for Business and Trade, the appointment of Secretary of State, and the creation of Minister for AI.
On the creation of Minister for Artificial Intelligence, a new cabinet role:
Prof Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, said:
“It’s not so much that the role is new, but its levelling is new.
“It’s a new approach to dealing with the pervasiveness of AI technology. Under Sir Keir Starmer, all digital and AI responsibility was placed in one department. That department then had to be the “department of pervasiveness” which is a challenging job. It seems the new government feel it hasn’t delivered.
“This new structure actually distributes AI and digital responsibility across departments (DDCMS, DBT, Cabinet Office) but brings coordination inside cabinet and under the Prime Ministers oversight. That structure also seems sensible.
“Whether it’s successful or not will depend on the execution.”
Prof Philip Torr, Professor of Engineering Science, Distinguished Fellow at Institute for Ethics and AI, University of Oxford, said:
“AI is one of the most pivotal technologies for our economy going forward, I think that having a minister specifically to look at all this is right and very important. There are a myriad of technical and legislative issues that need to be addressed. AI cuts across every department, from health to defence to education, and the big decisions involve trade-offs that can only be made at the centre of government.”
Prof Mirella Lapata, Personal Chair in Natural Language Processing, University of Edinburgh, said:
“Having an AI minister at the Cabinet table matters. The launch of the SOFAIR and BOLD labs last month showed the UK is willing to back fundamental AI research, not just near-term applications. I hope this appointment means that ambition is here to stay.”
Prof Greg Slabaugh, Professor of Computer Vision and AI, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:
“Giving the Minister for AI a seat at the Cabinet table is a welcome recognition that AI is now central to the UK’s economic competitiveness, national security and public services. At Queen Mary University of London, we see first-hand the strength of the UK’s AI research and its potential to transform fields ranging from healthcare to the environment. The UK has outstanding research talent and significant commercial successes, but international competition is intensifying rapidly. We must invest consistently in skills, research, computing infrastructure and translation if we are to retain our influence. Kanishka Narayan brings continuity and direct ministerial experience of the AI and online-safety brief. He will now need to draw closely on expertise across UK research, industry and the public sector to turn that experience into an ambitious, technically informed national strategy that recognises both AI’s transformative potential and the need for effective governance. The abolition of DSIT nevertheless creates uncertainty. UKRI’s statutory role and existing commitments should continue, but the Government must ensure that departmental restructuring strengthens rather than disrupts the UK’s ability to deliver world-leading AI research and innovation.”
Donna Phillips, Chair of the RSS AI Taskforce, said:
“It’s a positive sign that Kanishka Narayan has been promoted to Cabinet as Minister for AI — AI impacts across departments and having the responsible minister attend Cabinet should enable effective coordination and promote a coherent strategy. It indicates that government sees the importance of the area and, in keeping Narayan in post, sees the value of consistency and stability in the role.
“We are concerned, however, that moving responsibility for AI from the science department to the business department could disrupt momentum on important work around AI regulation and governance. It is essential that progress in these areas continues in spite of machinery of government changes. As the new government develops its AI agenda, it must recognise the importance of robust statistical methods for evaluating AI systems. Evidence-based evaluation is as a key foundation for effective regulation, responsible innovation and maintaining public confidence. We look forward to working with government to support this agenda.”
Chris Molloy, CEO of the BioIndustry Association, said:
“This is a crucial appointment reflecting the potency of AI as a transformative technology for the life sciences: in discovery, clinical trials, diagnostics, digital therapies and advanced manufacturing.”
Prof Michael Rovatsos, Professor of AI, University of Edinburgh, said:
“Treating AI as an area represented in the cabinet sends out an important signal, but now we have to see how policy decisions will actually be made across different government departments in practice. There is a sense that they have been struggling to pursue a coordinated approach in navigating the adoption of AI across business, research, and public services, so the key question is what role the Prime Minister will expect Narayan to play in that convoluted space.”
Prof Tony Cohn FREng, Professor of Automated Reasoning, University of Leeds, said:
“Given the now ubiquitous presence of AI in every area of science, business, defence, the arts, and citizens’ everyday lives, the creation of a cabinet-level minister for AI is very timely, if not overdue, and is to be welcomed. Narayan’s previous experience as Minister for AI and Online Safety will stand him in good stead, as an important part of the portfolio will be to manage the many risks that AI brings, as well as its great potential for good and helping to solve some of society’s most pressing problems.”
On the appointment of Jonathan Reynolds as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and moving science into the new department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
Dr Mark Effingham, Deputy CEO of UK Biobank, said:
“The UK has a real chance to be at the forefront of the life sciences and AI revolutions. Bringing science into the new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade will work well if science is recognised as the growth opportunity it has proven to be time and again. To realise that potential, science must remain a clear priority within the new department and continue to receive the focus and support needed to make the UK globally competitive.
“At UK Biobank we’ve seen first-hand how UK science is driving investment by supporting research around the world, and we look forward to seeing this new Department take on this mantle.”
Dame Tamara Finkelstein DCB, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“We welcome Secretary of State Jonathan Reynolds to his new role, combining innovation, science and technology – the engines of growth – with the business brief. This move will help to improve coordination and collaboration across sectors to reap the full economic benefits of research, particularly between UKRI, government departments, industry, and investors. The UK generates more spinouts and startups than any other country in Europe but we must support them to scale, grow and stay to reach their full potential.
“At this critical time for the economy, we must focus on innovation infrastructure – we need tech testbeds, facilities and data systems that can help turn ideas into products, services and processes. I am delighted that Kanishka Narayan will attend Cabinet as AI Minister, continuing the highly effective advocacy and support that he built up in his previous role in DSIT across the UK’s rapidly developing tech scene.”
Dr Alicia Greated, Executive Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), said:
“We welcome Jonathan Reynolds as Secretary of State and look forward to working with him in his new role.
“In a new department bringing together the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology it is critical that Jonathan Reynolds champions the whole R&D system, from basic research through to scale-up businesses.
“The UK and the R&D sector have faced many political changes over recent years. For UK R&D to thrive, commitment to stable funding and investment in R&D must remain unchanged and it is essential decisions are taken with a long-term view.
“R&D are critical drivers of economic growth, so bringing science and business policy together could create opportunities for better alignment between discovery research, commercialisation and industrial strategy. But curiosity-led and discovery research must continue to be protected within a larger department.
“I look forward to the Government providing clarity on responsibility for UKRI, research funding and long-term R&D strategy as soon as possible to avoid uncertainty for universities, institutes and businesses.”
Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“I welcome our new Prime Minister’s important commitment to growth across the UK, and at the Royal Academy of Engineering we stand ready to help him and his new team develop a credible, long-term plan to achieve it. Engineering and technology account for more than a third of the UK’s economy, and support over 8.5 million high value jobs, so we expect them to play a key role in the plan for growth and re-industrialisation. The UK is a global leader in research and innovation – we produce more spinouts and startups than any other country in Europe – and the benefits of industrialisation don’t have to be a thing of the past. The UK’s strengths in emerging technology areas such as AI, quantum and clean technology can and should be built on, so that technology improves lives in all parts of the country.
“However, there are real challenges for the new government when our competitors in other countries are forging ahead with implementing advanced technologies, particularly AI, to improve productivity. Our latest research shows that over half of UK engineering and technology firms have not yet adopted any of these potentially beneficial technologies. This needs to be tackled to really unleash potential growth, which is something our network of engineers and innovators are ready to help with.”
Edith Heard, Director and CEO of the Francis Crick Institute, said:
“We are deeply grateful to Sir Keir Starmer and Lord Patrick Vallance for their steadfast support for science over the last two years, which has helped strengthen the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem and laid important foundations for future discovery, innovation and economic growth.
“Science is one of the UK’s greatest national assets. It improves health, drives productivity and growth, strengthens resilience, and helps society respond to the challenges of the future. As the new government takes shape, it will be vital to maintain long-term investment and a clear strategic commitment to research and innovation.
“We look forward to working with the new Prime Minister and government to ensure the UK remains one of the world’s leading destinations for ambitious discovery research, translating scientific excellence into benefits for patients, communities and the economy.”
Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said:
“The Prime Minister understands the transformative power of science, knowledge, innovation, and technology. They are all parts of an interlinked and interdependent system of research that drives economic growth, health care, security, education, prosperity and the public good.
“We now have a new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and it is essential that science is in no way a junior partner. We need to see the Prime Minister and the new Secretary of State put their active support behind the full science system. That is how we make science deliver across all parts of government and the best way to make science work for everyone.”
Declared interests
The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, our policy is not to ask for interests to be declared – instead, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.