Tool Updates

On August 31, 2026 (rolling to Sept 7 for Canada, Sept 28 FedRAMP, Oct 5 SAP), WalkMe's Q3 '26 release added AI-generated lesson images/infographics, adaptive pre-assessments that let learners skip already-mastered content, a consolidated learning analytics dashboard (engagement, compliance gaps, content diagnostics), and AI-narrated simulations — directly relevant for L&D teams evaluating performance-support tools that deliver help inside the actual workflow rather than a separate training destination. (Source: https://support.walkme.com/knowledge-base/q3-26-product-release/)

Aug 31, 2026

Starting August 19, 2026, Google began rolling out a third surface for NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) content — notebooks in AI Mode in Search — syncing sources and notebook instructions across Google products, which could let L&D teams have their curated course materials surfaced directly in learners' Google Search AI results. (Source: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/notebooklm/better-research-notebooklm/)

Aug 19, 2026

On August 17, 2026, Google (which has been rebranding NotebookLM as Gemini Notebook) added the ability to copy a notebook along with its eligible sources and Studio outputs (Audio/Video Overviews, Study Guides, Flashcards, Quizzes, Slide Decks), letting instructional designers duplicate a curated course-research notebook as a reusable template instead of rebuilding it from scratch. (Source: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/notebooklm/better-research-notebooklm/)

Aug 17, 2026

AWS stopped accepting new customers for Amazon Kendra as of July 30, 2026 (following Maintenance Mode since June 30), so L&D teams evaluating it for internal knowledge-base search must now plan around AWS's recommended migration to Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Base instead. (Source: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kendra/latest/dg/kendra-availability-change.html)

Jul 30, 2026

Thinking Machines Lab (founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati) released Inkling, a 975B-parameter open-weights Mixture-of-Experts model (41B active) that natively reasons across text, images, and audio, with a 1M-token context window and adjustable reasoning effort. For L&D: reasoning traces can now deliberate over learner-produced diagrams and recorded audio (role-plays, coaching conversations), not just text — and open weights mean organizations can self-host for data-sensitive learning content. Positioned for customization rather than raw benchmark leadership. (Source: https://thinkingmachines.ai/news/introducing-inkling/)

Jul 15, 2026

Claude Code version 2.1.207, released July 10, 2026, extended auto mode to more platforms without requiring special setup, alongside accessibility improvements like screen reader support. (Source: https://www.havoptic.com/tools/claude-code)

Jul 10, 2026

Articulate's July 2026 release added a public beta of Rise AI Tutor, a course-aware chatbot learners can query inside a course, plus Skip Ahead Quizzes in Rise and in-app editing of AI-generated images within Storyline's AI Chat. (Source: https://community.articulate.com/blog/product-updates/what%e2%80%99s-new-in-articulate-360-q2-2026/1263228)

Jul 1, 2026

Amazon Kendra moved into Maintenance Mode effective June 30, 2026 (existing customers still get bug fixes/security updates but no new features), and AWS will stop accepting new customers as of July 30, 2026, directing new workloads to Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases instead. (Source: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kendra/latest/dg/kendra-availability-change.html)

Jun 30, 2026

NotebookLM shipped an update letting users start a project from a loose idea in chat, with the tool finding and organizing relevant web sources to build out a research repository automatically. (Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/08/notebooklms-new-update-will-help-you-build-source-repository-from-chat/)

Jun 8, 2026

On May 20, 2026, Cornerstone OnDemand launched Cornerstone Workforce AI, built on the Cornerstone People Graph and Skills Engine, adding AI agents intended to turn workforce data into recommended actions rather than just dashboards — relevant for L&D teams weighing whether their current LMS's AI roadmap is keeping pace with agentic competitors. (Source: https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/company/news-room/press-releases/cornerstone-launches-cornerstone-workforce-ai-the-intelligence-platform-for-workforce-readiness-built-to-amplify-human-potential-exponentially-with-ai/)

May 20, 2026

On May 19, 2026, Absorb Software launched Absorb Aura, a coordinated system of specialized AI agents built into the LMS — including an Admin Assist agent, a Learner Agent (discovery, Q&A, recommendations, external knowledge), and Microsoft Teams/Chrome extension integrations, rolled out May 15-June 15, 2026 — a significant signal for L&D teams evaluating how far agentic capability has moved from bolt-on chatbot to a coordinated in-product agent system. (Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/19/3297575/0/en/absorb-software-launches-absorb-aura-the-ai-engine-powering-the-agentic-learning-system-that-drives-the-business-forward.html)

May 19, 2026

On April 21, 2026, Docebo launched Docebo AgentHub, uniting skills intelligence, enterprise knowledge, and agentic AI in a single platform, with an MCP Server in public beta going native inside Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT — a direct signal for L&D teams evaluating how their LMS vendor plans to fit into an agent-driven workflow, not just add a chatbot. (Source: https://www.docebo.com/company/newsroom/docebo-launches-docebo-agenthub-and-unites-skills-intelligence-enterprise-knowledge-and-agentic-ai-in-a-single-platform/)

Apr 21, 2026

On February 17, 2026, Mindsmith announced it had built a dedicated AI agent for e-learning creation, an AI collaborator that works alongside instructional designers on simulations, scenarios, and learning experiences rather than a single-shot content generator — relevant for L&D teams comparing how far authoring tools have moved from templated output toward an actual design partner. (Source: https://www.mindsmith.ai/blog/mindsmith-has-built-the-agent-for-e-learning)

Feb 17, 2026