Summary
Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant integrated into Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It enhances productivity by providing intelligent suggestions, summarizing content, and generating creative ideas. Copilot is designed in line with Microsoft's AI principles and includes institutional data protection.
Features & Options
- Enhanced AI capabilities: Copilot now includes People Skills, an intelligent data layer that infers user skillsets based on activity such as meetings, documents, chat, and search.
- Data-driven interactions: Generate content, analyze or compare data, summarize documents, learn new skills, write code, and more.
- Institutional data is encrypted and protected, but sensitive data should not be uploaded without a Vendor Risk Assessment.
- Chat data is not used to train large language models (LLMs).
How to Obtain & Log in
Copilot is available via https://copilot.microsoft.com and the Microsoft Edge browser sidebar at no additional cost for UC Davis students, faculty, and staff. Be sure to log in to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem in your browser and click the "Sign in with a work or school account" link and log in with your UC Davis email address to get the benefits noted above.
- Available to UC Davis students, faculty & staff
- Pricing: No additional cost
Learning Resources
Find more information on the Microsoft 365 Copilot Help & Learning Page.
Security Considerations
At this time, Copilot is not HIPAA-compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is Copilot different from a regular search engine?
- Copilot in Microsoft 365 goes beyond traditional search by integrating AI-powered assistance directly into applications. It consolidates reliable sources across the web to provide summarized answers and allows users to interact naturally through chat.
- How do I best use Copilot Chat?
- Use natural language to ask Copilot questions or give instructions. In work mode, ask questions about your organization, generate content, or summarize a topic, document, or chat conversation.
- What is the difference between Micosoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot?
- Microsoft Copilot is a portfolio of generative AI agents built into the Microsoft apps, products, and services you know and love. Microsoft Copilot supports enterprises, businesses, and individuals. Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI assistant for work that’s built specifically in your productivity apps, supporting enterprises and businesses.
- What kinds of things can Microsoft 356 Copilot help me with?
- Microsoft 365 Copilot works across your everyday apps, supporting you in the context of your work. For example, Copilot in Word can help with creating, understanding, and editing documents, while Copilot in PowerPoint can help with drafting a presentation, adding or editing slides, and even summarizing decks. Learn more about what’s possible with Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- How does Microsoft 365 Copilot keep my data safe?
- Keeping your proprietary data confidential is important, and Copilot has built-in safeguards to help ensure it stays that way. Copilot inherits all your existing Microsoft 365 security and compliance requirements, so only people with the right permissions can access the content it generates. Additionally, because Copilot is a core Microsoft 365 service, the data it uses resides in your geographical region. That means it complies with Microsoft processing commitments for that region. Learn more about data, privacy, and security for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Technical Support
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot-skilling
Content on this website is subject to change as AI tools continue to develop. Page last updated May 13, 2025.