Guidance

AI foundation skills for work benchmark

Published 28 January 2026

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-foundation-skills-for-work/ai-foundation-skills-for-work-benchmark

Benchmark skills

The Skills England ‘AI skills for the UK workforce’ report identified that Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills fall into 3 domains: 

  • technical skills 
  • non-technical skills 
  • responsible or ethical skills 

There are 6 AI foundation skills for work, grouped by domain. 

Together these skills set a benchmark that helps:  

  • industry and training providers design good quality training that gives people the basic skills they need to use AI tools safely and responsibly 
  • workers to understand the skills they need to use simple AI tools confidently and responsibly

1. Technical AI foundation skills

The foundation skills in the technical domain are: 

  • writing clear instructions for AI tools 
  • using AI tools to support routine processes and tasks  

These skills help people to feel confident using AI, meaning they are more likely to use AI in work.

Writing clear instructions improves the quality and accuracy of the information AI provides. Using AI for everyday tasks, such as drafting messages or organising information, helps people save time and work more efficiently.

2. Non-technical AI foundation skills

The foundation skills in the non-technical domain are: 

  • using simple software that automates work tasks 
  • adjusting how an AI tool works to get better results  

These skills help people to automate routine tasks such as sending reminders without needing coding skills.  

Adjusting AI settings helps people choose things like tone of writing or privacy and safety settings.

3. Responsible and ethical AI foundation skills

The foundation skills in the responsible and ethical domain are: 

  • understanding the risks and consequences associated with AI use  
  • analysing information using AI tools  

These skills support safe and secure AI use.  

AI is not always accurate. Understanding the risks helps people decide when to rely on AI or when to use their own judgement.  

Having the skills to analyse information using AI is also part of responsible use. This means people can make informed decisions by: 

  • checking AI outputs for accuracy 
  • spotting errors
  • recognising patterns and trends

AI upskilling

Anyone who completes an AI Skills Boost course covering all 6 foundation skills will receive a virtual badge to show they have met this benchmark. 

These courses and virtual badges help employers to know that workers can use simple AI tools in a safe, effective and responsible way.

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