Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on his first full day in office last Tuesday has drawn immediate and widespread criticism, with many fearing it will severely impede the UK's ambitions in artificial intelligence and the broader tech landscape. The move, which reverses many of the 2023 governmental changes, has been described by some as a significant step backward for the nation's science policy.
Under the new structure, DSIT's functions have been redistributed across several government departments. Artificial Intelligence policy will now reside within the Cabinet Office, with Kanishka Narayan appointed as Minister for AI, attending Cabinet at Minister of State level without an independent departmental structure. Digital transformation, inclusion and skills, information resilience, and online harms have been moved to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). A newly formed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST) will oversee science and innovation, aiming to directly link the UK's research base with commercial application and job creation.
The government's rationale is that certain areas, particularly AI, should not be confined to a single department but rather integrated across all government functions. Other elements, such as research and innovation, are intended to be more closely aligned with economic outcomes. However, this approach has been met with scepticism regarding its practical implementation and potential for fragmentation. Critics argue that such extensive machinery of government changes typically lead to months of disruption and often overestimate the benefits while underestimating the costs.
Concerns have also been raised about the effectiveness of 'overlord' ministers, like Kanishka Narayan, who are expected to coordinate policy across multiple departments without the full resources and authority of a dedicated ministry. Lord Vaizey of Didcot highlighted a key issue on LinkedIn, questioning who international partners would contact in the UK government regarding AI collaboration, given the policy is now spread across four different ministers. This sentiment is echoed by industry bodies like techUK and the Startup Coalition, who jointly warned the Prime Minister that dismantling DSIT would slow momentum and weaken the UK's tech leadership.
Prominent figures from the tech and policy sectors have expressed strong disapproval. Jimmy McLoughlin, a former Downing Street business director, labelled the idea as "absolutely CRACKERS," while Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho conveyed her profound disappointment, stating the "devastation of the seriousness of the work of GDS is unforgivable." The consensus outside government appears to be overwhelmingly negative, with many questioning the strategic wisdom behind fragmenting the UK's science, innovation, and technology efforts at a critical juncture for global technological advancement.