On Aug. 3, the University of Iowa will introduce a six-month retention policy for chat history in UI-supported AI tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, and ChatGPT Edu. Learn what the change means for you, why it’s being implemented, and how to save important AI chat content for future reference.

Explore how Copilot Chat Agents, Microsoft 365 Copilot Agents, and ChatGPT Edu Custom GPTs differ in capabilities, knowledge sources, licensing, and sharing. Learn which option best fits your needs and what to consider when sharing assistants across the university or publicly.

Research security is no longer a niche concern. More projects now involve sponsor security requirements, controlled data, export controls, AI-related data concerns, or other compliance obligations. As these requirements become more common, universities need reliable ways to support them without starting from scratch each time.

Choosing the right AI tool starts with understanding the work you need to accomplish. Learn how University of Iowa-supported AI tools – including Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Claude Opus in MS 365 Copilot, and ChatGPT Edu – compare, and discover which option is best suited for your teaching, research, or administrative tasks.

Skills in ChatGPT Edu let users save reusable instructions for common tasks, making it easier to generate consistent outputs without rewriting the same prompts. By streamlining workflows for teaching, research, and administrative work, Skills help save time, improve consistency, and simplify repetitive tasks across the university.

Personalize Microsoft Copilot Chat to work the way you do with Custom Instructions and Memory. By setting your preferences once, you can reduce repetitive prompts, receive more relevant responses, and enjoy a more consistent, efficient AI experience tailored to your needs.

Discover how AI can make meetings more productive by reducing the time spent on preparation, note-taking, and follow-up tasks. Learn how university-supported AI tools help faculty and staff focus less on meeting administration and more on meaningful collaboration and decision-making.

With the summer travel season in full swing many people across campus are attending conferences and research collaborations, taking part in study abroad programs, working remotely, and taking vacations. Whether you are presenting at an international symposium or checking email from an airport café, your devices and data travel with you — and so do cyber risks.

Information Technology Services and the Office of the Vice President for Research will launch a secure research environment called HawkTrust-SRE for UI researchers in November.

If you're not sure where to start with AI tools or training, this article is the place to begin. It brings together supported tools, learning options, campus programs, events, and ways to get help.