As Peter Kyle sets off on a 7,000-mile journey from Washington to Beijing this week, the UK’s newly appointed business secretary may consider the personal journey that brought him here.

Kyle faced hurdles in his early education due to dyslexia, and by his own admission, left school with “no usable” qualifications. It wasn’t until his twenties, after several failed attempts, that he made it to university.

Now, having just been handed his second cabinet role in the reshuffle following Angela Rayner’s departure, Kyle is holding talks with senior US officials about the transatlantic technology partnership. With no time to mark his 55th birthday on Tuesday, he’ll then fly to China for crucial but cautious conversations around widening economic ties.

These visits to the globe’s economic powerhouses are part of his determined push to deliver the growth that, he told executives last week, Labour has yet to realize—but one he is determined to pursue without pause.

Colleagues say Kyle, the MP for Hove since 2015 and a local to the area, brings a sharp mind and drive to his work. “He’s highly respected and puts in serious effort,” said Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation and former adviser to Tony Blair.

Bertram became acquainted with Kyle during their tenure in the Cabinet Office under New Labour—a team led then by Hilary Armstrong and also featuring current Labour figures such as Ed Miliband and Pat McFadden. “Some special advisers grow big egos, but Pete was always down to earth. He worked hard and remains that way—approachable and quick to make decisions,” he added.

However, Kyle’s recent role as minister for science and innovation has stirred concerns over his closeness to powerful tech companies, especially within the rapidly developing AI sector.

In earlier years, Kyle worked at the headquarters of The Body Shop, mentored by its founder Anita Roddick. Today, instead of turning to humans for insights, he has increasingly relied on artificial intelligence—technology he believes is nearing the capability to rival, if not surpass, human intelligence.

According to reports earlier this year, Kyle sought advice from ChatGPT on various work matters—from selecting podcasts to discussing complex scientific ideas like “quantum” and “antimatter.” In the same timeframe, it emerged he had met with major tech players—including Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta—a total of 28 times over six months.

This prompted criticism from Liberal Democrat peer Victoria Collins, who argued that Kyle seemed hesitant to challenge digital giants on matters like online child safety and protections for British artists.

Kyle, often seen wearing the standard tech industry attire of jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers, defended his approach in a talk with industry representatives. “If this is a crime, I plead guilty,” he quipped, referring to his numerous meetings with tech executives.

His connection to the sector predates his ministerial post. Last year, a report revealed Varun Chandra, a senior adviser to the prime minister, owned stakes in AI businesses through a division of consultancy firm Hakluyt.

Kyle did record that the same firm covered his travel for a Silicon Valley visit the prior year, although he did not disclose that he attended a dinner organized by the company during that trip.

Speculation among party insiders had suggested that his ties to Silicon Valley were becoming too prominent, and that he might be moved out of the tech brief. Ironically, his next position only intensified his involvement with AI and related fields.

His new post, however, comes with broader obligations. In addition to cutting-edge tech, he will need to support legacy industries such as steel and hospitality—sectors grappling with economic headwinds yet still vital to the country’s future.

He also faces a backlog left by outgoing minister Jonathan Reynolds, which includes dealing with the repercussions of U.S. tariffs and concern over potential job losses linked to rising business tax rates.

When addressing industry leaders recently, Kyle urged firms to take bigger risks and expressed ambition for Britain to someday host a trillion-dollar business—an achievement currently limited to just a handful of mostly American tech giants he’s been associated with.

One parliamentary colleague noted that Kyle’s nonprofit background influences his work, saying he’s not hesitant to champion companies he believes deserve governmental support. “He has a keen mind, and he’ll use his department’s influence to scale up not just innovation but the industrial application of technology,” the MP added.

That stance might cause friction with those more focused on innovation for its own sake. Just last week, Jean Innes, head of the Alan Turing Institute—the UK’s national AI centre—resigned after Kyle cautioned that its funding was at risk unless it aligned its efforts more closely with defence priorities, prompting unrest among the organization’s staff.

Now responsible for a wide range of vital sectors, each with its own priorities and pressures, Kyle enters a role full of complexities—and potential tensions.