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Overview
The University of Arkansas supports five AI options that departments may consider. There are both free and paid, licensed options.
- Copilot Chat– (included with Microsoft license, no additional cost) A lightweight chat experience grounded in web-search answers for quick Q&A, web research, brainstorming, and writing help.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot – (for purchase) An AI assistant embedded in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams that leverages Microsoft Graph to accelerate everyday productivity. Uses all of your work files on Microsoft 365 when answering prompts.
- OpenAI ChatGPT Edu – (for purchase ) An institution-optimized AI platform for teaching, research, and administrative work with FERPA-aligned privacy and enterprise controls.
- Google Gemini for Education - (no additional cost) A generative AI assistant that works as Chrome browser add-on, on a web app, or mobile app. Uses Google's AI models. Its models were designed for educational purposes.
- Gemini Notebook - (no additional cost) A personal AI-powered research and thinking partner, grounded only in the information you provide.
Tip: Choose the tool that matches your workflow and data needs. If you live in Microsoft apps and need secure access to all of your M365 files, consider Microsoft 365 Copilot. If you need compliant, cross-disciplinary AI for research, instruction, and administration, consider ChatGPT Edu. For quick, tasks and web searching, Copilot Chat or Google Gemini for Education is a convenient option. To create a smart notebook to synthesize information, use Gemini Notebook.
Key Features
Copilot Chat (included with UARK account)
- Embedded in Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
- Great for quick Q&A, brainstorming, writing help, and web research.
- Consumer-level privacy; not intended for sensitive or FERPA-protected institutional data.
Microsoft 365 Copilot (faculty & staff)
- Uses Microsoft Graph to work with your email, calendar, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams content (within your tenant permissions).
- Enterprise compliance posture (e.g., data remains in your M365 tenant; licensing determines covered standards).
- Use cases: drafting reports/policies, analyzing budgets/enrollment/assessment data, building presentations, summarizing and actioning Teams meetings.
- Cost: $240 per year per license
OpenAI ChatGPT Edu (faculty & staff)
- Runs on advanced GPT-4o family models tailored for higher education use cases.
- FERPA-aligned; institutional data is not used to train OpenAI models.
- Enterprise controls: SSO/SCIM, role-based policies, admin dashboards.
- Use cases: lesson/curriculum planning, policy and communications drafting, research support (summarization, coding help, data analysis), grant writing, IT/HR documentation.
- Tiered pricing
Google Gemini for Education (included with UARK account)
- General-purpose AI chat for writing, brainstorming, summarization, and idea generation.
- Strong integration with Google Search and web-based information.
- Best for tasks and exploratory work.
- Does not provide access to Google Workspace.
Gemini Notebook (included with UARK account)
- Research and study assistant that works only from sources you upload (documents, PDFs, links).
- Excellent for summarizing readings, synthesizing notes, and question-answering from provided materials.
- Best for coursework, literature reviews, and structured research preparation.
- Does not access institutional storage.
Comparison at a Glance
Comparison of IT-Supported AI Tools
| Feature |
Copilot Chat |
Microsoft 365 Copilot |
OpenAI ChatGPT Edu |
Google Gemini for Education |
Gemini Notebook |
| Primary Audience |
All UARK accounts |
Employees |
Employees |
All UARK accounts |
All UARK accounts |
| Primary Data Source |
Public web |
Your Microsoft data |
User-provided + Public web |
Public web |
User-provided + public web |
| Where to access it |
Microsoft apps, web, mobile app |
Microsoft apps, desktop app, mobile app |
Web app, mobile app |
Web app, mobile app |
Web app, mobile app |
| Data Exposure |
Enterprise data protected when using UARK account |
Enterprise data protected when using UARK account |
Enterprise data protected when using UARK account |
Enterprise data protected when using UARK account |
Enterprise data protected when using UARK account |
| Best Use |
Quick questions, brainstorming, drafting |
Deep productivity with Microsoft app |
Data analysis, Teaching |
Quick questions, brainstorming, drafting |
Research synthesis, Learning Assistant |
| Cost |
Included in UARK account |
License: $240 per license per year. |
Priced by tiers |
Included in UARK account |
Included in UARK account |
Access
For more information on how to access these application, please refer to the articles about them. They can be viewed on this page in the Related Articles section.
Training
IMPORTANT:
Users must follow all federal and state laws, as well as UA System and University of Arkansas policies, when handling university data on any AI tool.
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