What changed · week of 3 August 2026 · 4 minutes
Week of 3 August 2026
If you read nothing else
The government published a new national standard for essential digital skills in July, and almost nothing is taught against it yet.
What changed. The Department for Education published Essential digital skills standards: 2026 on 15 July, updated and expanded to include artificial intelligence.
Does it matter to you?Only if you buy or run training
What to do. Nothing today. If you commission training, start asking suppliers which standard they teach against, and expect vague answers for the next year.
Department for Education · Essential digital skills standards: 2026 · 15 July 2026
What changed. The ONS reported that 35% of UK businesses with ten or more employees now use at least one AI technology, while 11% say more than half their workforce has had any AI training.
Does it matter to you?Yes
What to do. If your workplace switched something on without training anybody, you are in the gap between those two numbers, and you are not unusual.
Office for National Statistics · Artificial intelligence in UK businesses: 2023 to 2026 · 20 July 2026
What changed. The Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements commence for private registered providers on 1 October 2026, with individual request rights from 1 April 2027.
Does it matter to you?Only if you rent from a housing association, or work for one
What to do. If you are a tenant, nothing yet — the right arrives in October. If you work for a landlord, the question worth asking now is how a tenant who is not online will use it.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements: policy statement · Checked 8 August 2026
- Another model scored higher on another benchmark. It does not change anything you do on Monday.
- A large amount of coverage of a product that is not available in the UK.
Checked by a person · not auto-published
Every item above links to a primary source · week of 3 August 2026