Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to axe the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has alarmed UK tech leaders, who fear the shake‑up will slow policymaking just as AI advances speed up. New business secretary Jonathan Reynolds will lead technology in a beefed‑up Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), a move confirmed by Downing Street. Public‑sector AI adoption and the AI Security Institute will move to the Cabinet Office and be overseen by Kanishka Narayan, whose role has been boosted to cabinet level and will serve jointly at the Cabinet Office and in Reynolds’ department.

As US Big Tech invest hundreds of billions in AI and start‑ups flock to the UK, the prime minister’s move to elevate technology to cabinet was welcomed by some. Saul Klein praised the decision, but many entrepreneurs, including Brent Hoberman and Tom Westgarth, fear the reorganisation will push the industry down the government’s agenda. Critics argue the split risks losing influence for the Government Digital Service and creates an opportunity cost. The move reflects a broader shift that began when Rishi Sunak set up DSIT in 2023.