MI5's AI Warning, and the Welsh MP Now in Charge of It

This week the head of MI5 said something that made me stop scrolling.

What MI5 said

In his annual threat update, Sir Ken McCallum said that in 2026 MI5 is putting more resource into countering state threats than it did during the Cold War. Its caseload has quadrupled in ten years.

Running through the whole speech was AI. His worry is that it could give hostile states and terrorists a serious boost, and in the worst case help less sophisticated groups get closer to making bioweapons. He was clear that hasn't happened. But MI5 has set up an AI Threat Assessment Centre to stay ahead of it.

That's a lot to take in. So who in government actually owns this?

Meet the Minister for AI

His name is Kanishka Narayan. If you hadn't heard of him, you're not alone. Andy Burnham made him the UK's first cabinet-level Minister for AI in July. He was raised in Cardiff and he's the MP for the Vale of Glamorgan. So he's Welsh, which of course makes me like him a little already. But he's got what I'd say is the hardest job in government right now.

Putting this role at the cabinet table was a choice. Narayan called it a sign of the Prime Minister's "deep commitment to AI's importance." And he didn't hold back on the stakes: "AI is likely the most significant technology in human history. Its impact will dwarf other things." He also said nations have a narrow window to decide whether they shape AI or get shaped by it.

What he said this week

In a speech at Imperial College, he set out how he plans to respond.

He told AI companies not to release systems they can't control. He wants Britain to build more of its own AI infrastructure rather than relying on tech firms to police themselves.

What he didn't say

What struck me was what he left out. No doom. No scare words. He talked about defence, control and responsibility. He named a very real threat without whipping up panic. That's a hard line to walk, and I think he got it right.

Your business has the same window

Here's the bit I keep coming back to. What's true for the country is true for your business.

That narrow window applies to you too. Either you decide early how AI is going to shape the way you work, or it decides for you. And if you wait, you end up on the back foot, reacting to changes instead of choosing them. The businesses that get stuck in now will be shaping their own future. The ones that don't will spend the next few years catching up.

As an AI advisor, this is exactly the balance I help people find. Take the risks seriously. Don't freeze. Get informed, make your choices on purpose, and use AI responsibly. The threat is real, and so is the opportunity.