Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) is an AI text generation platform that can be used to answer questions, provide recommendations, brainstorm ideas, among many other functions. Users can enter text-based prompts and choose from three conversation styles to generate responses.
Data Privacy and FERPA
As part of the campus agreement with Microsoft, Copilot, available for use for UMass Amherst faculty, staff, and students free of charge. When used through the University’s licensed version, Copilot is a FERPA-compliant tool which protects user data, discards historical chat logs, and does not use user data to train models, ensuring user protection and security.
Please note: Copilot is compliant with UMass policies only when users are logged in with a UMass NetID.
When can Copilot be used in Academic Courses?
As defined by the Faculty Senate Rules Committee, the use of generative AI platforms to complete academic work in any way is prohibited unless otherwise noted by the instructor.
Instructors may allow certain levels of AI usage in their courses and are encouraged to address AI in their course syllabus. All UMass Amherst instructors are encouraged to include a statement in their syllabus to clarify their expectations and policies around the use of AI. Example statements are available on the CTL’s page on AI usage, ranging from completely disallowing AI to allowing certain AI usage with attribution.
If instructors require students to use generative AI tools for academic work, only FERPA-compliant tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, should be used.
Logging in to Copilot
UMass Amherst faculty, staff, and students can log in to copilot with their NetID at https://copilot.microsoft.com/Select “Sign in with Work or School account” and enter your UMass login credentials. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll see a message that your personal and school data are protected.
Using Copilot
When using Copilot, you have the option to choose from three conversation styles.
- Precise Mode: This mode focuses on providing shorter, search-focused answers.
- Balanced Mode: Balanced Mode offers responses that are moderately detailed, providing shorter answers with a bit more context than Precise Mode.
- Creative Mode: Creative Mode provides users with longer and more descriptive responses.>
Copilot’s output will be determined by the prompts entered by users. Visit the IDEAS page on Generative AI text platforms to learn more about what makes an AI prompt effective.
Please note: Copilot is a new text generation tool and is prone to mistakes, sometimes called hallucinations. Copilot and other AI resources can provide incorrect or harmful responses and are not free of unintended biases. It is your responsibility to review all outputs from Copilot carefully for accuracy and other potential issues. It is the user’s responsibility to review all outputs from Copilot carefully for accuracy and other potential issues.