Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is a browser-based generative AI that leverages large language models (LLMs) to assist users with tasks such as generating text or images, summarizing information, automating repetitive tasks, and more. Designed to enhance your productivity and improve your workplace experience, Copilot is intended to be intuitive and easy to use even by those without technical expertise.

Microsoft Copilot is available to students, faculty, and staff at no additional cost. It does not interact with any content in your Microsoft 365 account or other external data sources. A separate, similarly-named product (Copilot for Microsoft 365) is available to University departments for an additional fee.

Logging In

1. Navigate to https://copilot.microsoft.com/ and click Sign in.

   

2. Log in using your UT identity:
   

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3. To confirm that you are logged in to your UT Microsoft 365 account, look for the green Protected emblem in the upper right.

   

Key Features

Microsoft Copilot is designed to be easy to use. It:

• Is available via any web browser, with additional capabilities if you use Microsoft Edge.

• Responds conversationally to help you resolve work-related tasks.

• Provides contextually relevant responses and suggestions based on your prompts.

• Cites its sources when pulling data from the web.

Privacy and Security

Microsoft Copilot is secure when you’re signed in with your UT account. It:

• Has additional data protections compared to the consumer version available to the public.

• Does not store the data you share with it or use it to train models.

• Is approved for use with public and controlled University data; Copilot is not approved for use with any confidential University data.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

Copilot for Microsoft 365 (a.k.a. Copilot for M365) is available to staff and faculty for an additional fee on a per-user basis.

This Copilot integrates into several core Microsoft 365 applications, providing AI-powered assistance to enhance productivity across various tasks.

Key Features

• Integrated into most Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, etc.) online and in compatible Microsoft Office desktop installations.

• Works alongside you, helping to enhance your productivity and boost your creativity and skills:

  • Draft emails and documents

  • Create presentations

  • Summarize text, messages, and meetings

  • Assist with analyzing information and trends

• Seamlessly queries your data from almost any Microsoft 365 app:

  • Generate a summary of your Outlook inbox or calendar, including any outstanding action items.

  • Use the content of an email you are drafting in Outlook to suggest responses or relevant documents from OneDrive.

  • Generate a summary in Word of a PowerPoint presentation or vice versa.

• Protected by the University’s contractual agreements with Microsoft.

  • Approved for use with public, controlled, and confidential University data (including HIPAA, FERPA, and IRB classifications).

  • Prompts, responses, and data are kept confidential and are not used to train underlying LLMs.

  • Data stays within the boundary of the University’s Microsoft 365 tenant.

Will Copilot for M365 Meet My Needs?

In early 2024, the Microsoft 365 team partnered with several departments across campus to trial Copilot for M365 to approximately 140 faculty and staff. The pilot participants:

• Had varied job functions

• Were offered training material for Copilot for M365 tool reported using the tool regularly

Feedback from this evaluation indicated that Copilot for M365 was:

• Good at assisting with drafting documents and emails

• Good at developing presentations

However, the tool was found lacking in:

• Assisting with scheduling, particularly with pulling together multiple schedules

• Excel-related tasks and data visualization

Overall, initial testers reported being underwhelmed by Copilot for M365, and approximately a third of the group discontinued their subscription to the product.

When using any AI tool, it’s important to consider the costs, benefits, and the type of problem you’re seeking to solve. To see if Copilot for M365 is a good fit, please seek out documentation and reach out to the Microsoft 365 team with any questions.

Cost and How to Purchase

The Microsoft 365 team has partnered with Technology Resources (https://trecs.utexas.edu/) for acquisition of premium M365 service offerings:

• For current pricing for Copilot for M365 and other premium M365 services, please visit https://utexas.sharepoint.com/sites/TechnologyResources/SitePages/M365-App.aspx.

• To initiate a purchase or manage an existing license, please contact M365-Purchasing@utexas.edu.