# What changed — week of 3 August 2026

4 minutes

**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.

*Source:* Department for Education, *Essential digital skills standards: 2026*, 15 July 2026 — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/essential-digital-skills-standards-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.

*Source:* Office for National Statistics, *Artificial intelligence in UK businesses: 2023 to 2026*, 20 July 2026 — https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/articles/artificialintelligenceinukbusinesses/2023to2026


**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.

*Source:* Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, *Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements: policy statement*, Checked 8 August 2026 — https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/social-tenant-access-to-information-requirements-consultation/outcome/social-tenant-access-to-information-requirements-policy-statement


## Not worth your time this week

- 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.