The Cabinet Office has launched the Prime Minister’s AI Taskforce, chaired by Lord Vallance and led by AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, on 24 July 2026.
The Taskforce will be based in the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, alongside No.10, No.10 North and core Cabinet Office functions. It will coordinate and implement the government’s strategy for artificial intelligence across public services and the wider economy.
Lord Vallance will report directly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, while the Taskforce will also report through Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo and AI Minister Narayan. Responsibility for the existing AI Security Institute will move into the same central government office.
Government Launches New AI Taskforce
The new unit has been established to place artificial intelligence within the government’s central decision-making structure. It will coordinate work intended to increase AI adoption, support public service reform and contribute to economic growth across the UK.
Kanishka Narayan will lead the Taskforce in his role as Minister for Artificial Intelligence and will attend Cabinet. Lord Vallance will serve as chair, providing scientific, technical and public sector experience while maintaining direct accountability to the Prime Minister.
- Chair: Lord Vallance will oversee the Taskforce and report directly to the Prime Minister.
- Ministerial lead: Kanishka Narayan will lead its work and attend Cabinet.
- Government base: The unit will operate within the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
Taskforce Mandate and Reporting Structure
The Taskforce’s stated purpose is to direct and implement the government’s overall AI strategy. Its remit includes public sector AI adoption, economic growth and coordination of AI-related activity across departments.
The organisational model draws on the Vaccines Taskforce, which operated as an empowered central unit with defined accountability. The government intends to use a similar structure to connect policy decisions with implementation across public bodies.
AI Taskforce Leadership Structure
| Official | Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Andy Burnham | Prime Minister | Receives direct reports from the chair |
| Lord Vallance | Taskforce chair | Oversees delivery and coordination |
| Kanishka Narayan | AI Minister | Leads the Taskforce and attends Cabinet |
| Antonia Romeo | Cabinet Secretary | Receives Taskforce reporting |
Public Sector Transformation and AI Adoption
The Taskforce will lead work to expand the use of AI across the public sector. This will include coordinating adoption between government organisations and supporting changes to how services are managed and delivered.
Its wider remit covers the use of AI to support industrial development, national security and economic growth. The government said the work should reach communities across the country rather than remain concentrated within individual departments or technology centres.
- Public services: Coordinate AI adoption and transformation across government organisations.
- Economic policy: Connect the AI strategy with growth and industrial development.
- National coverage: Support opportunities in different regions of the UK.
- Implementation: Translate the government’s strategic direction into departmental activity.
AI Security Institute Moves to Central Government
Responsibility for the AI Security Institute will transfer to the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The move will place the institute within the same central structure as the new Taskforce.
The institute’s work will therefore sit alongside the government’s broader direction of AI policy, adoption and implementation. The announcement did not set out operational changes to the institute or a timetable for completing the transfer.
Central Government AI Responsibilities
| Area | Government Action | Location |
|---|---|---|
| AI strategy | Direction and implementation | PM AI Taskforce |
| Public sector adoption | Coordinate transformation | PM AI Taskforce |
| AI security | Transfer institute responsibility | Prime Minister’s central office |
Taskforce Based Within Prime Minister’s Office
The Taskforce will operate under First Secretary of State Louise Haigh within the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The office will bring together the Taskforce, No.10, No.10 North and central Cabinet Office responsibilities.
This arrangement places the unit within the machinery supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Its reporting structure is intended to link AI policy with government-wide decisions and departmental delivery.
Lord Vallance Takes Growth Corridor Role
Lord Vallance has also been appointed chair of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. The partnership includes local government, businesses and academic institutions working on innovation and regional economic development.
The role builds on his previous appointment as ministerial champion for the corridor. Its stated work includes removing constraints on development and strengthening collaboration between research, industry and public authorities.
Scientific and Government Experience
Lord Vallance served as Government Chief Scientific Adviser between 2018 and 2023. During that period, he provided scientific advice to ministers and was involved in the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He previously chaired the Vaccines Taskforce and later served as Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear across the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The government said this background would support cooperation between science, academia, industry and public administration.
Stakeholder Comments
Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, said:
“AI is rapidly changing our world and we need to make sure it works for everyone. The opportunities are huge if we get it right and I want AI to power a new industrial revolution that drives good growth in every postcode.”
Kanishka Narayan, Minister for Artificial Intelligence, said:
“AI is likely the most significant technology in human history. That is why it is now at the UK Cabinet’s table, so we can reindustrialise with AI, secure our country, and support our public services.”
Lord Vallance, Chair of the AI Taskforce, said:
“The potential to transform public services, drive growth and improve people’s lives is immense, and I intend to make sure we deliver on it.”
The PM AI Taskforce will coordinate the government’s artificial intelligence strategy from within the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Its responsibilities cover implementation, public sector adoption and national growth, while the AI Security Institute will move into the same central structure. Lord Vallance will chair the Taskforce while AI Minister Kanishka Narayan leads its ministerial work and Cabinet representation.
Sources: Cabinet Office — GOV.UK announcement, 24 July 2026.
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organisation delivering timely insights from global official sources. Combines AI-analysed research with human-edited accuracy and context.
