Which AI model? The September 2026 guide
The best AI model or tool for writing, coding, research, spreadsheets, images, privacy and free use, with a runner-up for each and UK prices, built from independent leaderboards.
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AI Toolkit #1: seven settings worth changing today
Training opt-outs, project-only memory, free spreadsheet helpers and research modes: seven underused features in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot, with UK plan details.
Ask Ada #1: privacy, paying and made-up answers
Ask Ada launches: how to send your AI tool questions, plus straight answers on pasting documents into chatbots, which subscription is worth paying for, and why AI makes things up.
Prompt library #1: 11 prompts for everyday jobs
Eleven copy-and-paste prompts for email, summaries, decisions and learning, each with fill-in-the-blanks and a tip for better results. Three tested with Claude.
AI Playbook #1: Turn a pile of documents into one page
A step-by-step workflow, with prompts to copy, for turning contracts, bills and manuals into a one-page briefing you can actually trust, plus the privacy settings to switch off first.
Sky's 1.6Gbps broadband: fast, late and not for all
Sky has launched 1.6Gbps full-fibre broadband on Openreach's network from £38 a month. It's a big jump for Sky customers, but rivals got there first and most homes won't notice the difference.
Huawei-backed Avatr eyes the UK. Again
Avatr, the Chinese EV brand backed by Changan, Huawei and CATL, is testing right-hand-drive cars in the UK after missing its 2025 target. No price or date yet, and the Huawei tech raises questions.
Bentley's first EV costs £173k and plays you strings
Bentley has revealed the Torcal, its first electric car, built in Crewe and priced from £173,300. It's packed with tech and arrives late, just as luxury rivals are going cold on EVs.
BYD's first solid-state car is coming. Just not to you
BYD says its first car with solid-state batteries will appear in 2027. It looks set to be a China-market luxury saloon, and the company's own scientist says liquid batteries aren't going anywhere soon.
Mercedes hires a British AI to drive its cars (sort of)
Mercedes-Benz has signed a production deal to put London-based Wayve's AI Driver into its cars within two years. It's a big win for a British AI firm, but it's driver assistance, not a self-driving Mercedes.