News

Claude is now available in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot users may now see Claude as another model option inside supported Copilot experiences. This update does not require a separate Claude account, subscription, or website for university work. It gives licensed users another option inside Copilot when a second draft, another angle, or a different response may be useful.

University of Iowa launches two new programs to support AI exploration

Monday, May 4, 2026
Curious how AI might fit into your daily work—but not sure where to start? Two new programs, AI Pathways and AI Explorer Grants, are designed to help faculty and staff explore AI thoughtfully, responsibly, and with clear, practical goals.

Generative AI 101: 5 facts everyone should know

Monday, April 6, 2026
Generative AI is showing up in more day-to-day work, but many people still want a clearer foundation before they use it more often. This article lays out five things worth understanding early, including what generative AI is actually doing, where it helps, where it can mislead, and why responsible use still matters. It also points readers to the new Generative AI 101: Foundations and Use Cases training for faculty and staff.

Update to Copilot availability in Microsoft 365 apps

Monday, April 6, 2026
Starting April 15, 2026, there will be an update to how Copilot Chat appears in some Microsoft 365 apps. The change affects in-app access, not whether people can continue using Copilot Chat in the web-based Copilot interface. No action is required. Outlook is not affected, and users with the elevated Microsoft 365 Copilot license are not impacted.

Season of the phish: When the message comes from someone you trust

Thursday, April 2, 2026
Sometimes phishing messages don’t come from unfamiliar senders. In some cases, criminals gain access to a vendor’s system and use it to send convincing messages that may reference a real project, invoice, or document request. Learn how to identify and protect yourself from these advanced phishing attempts.

Use AI to pressure-test your thinking, not just agree with you

Friday, March 27, 2026
AI is very good at making rough ideas sound finished. That is not always the same as making them better. This article shows a more useful way to work with AI: ask it to question assumptions, point out weak spots, and read like a careful reviewer instead of a tool that just cleans things up and sends you on your way.

How to tell whether an AI license is worth it for your role

Friday, March 27, 2026
Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes a chat-based tool already covers most of what you need. This piece looks at where a paid license tends to make the biggest difference, where it may not change much, and how to judge the fit based on the way your work actually happens across Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 tools.

April AI User Group: AI, data, and decision-making in Athletics

Friday, March 27, 2026
This month’s AI User Group features Eddie T. Etsey, Associate Athletics Director, Technology & Data Analytics and Women’s Tennis Administrator. The session will focus on how AI, data, analytics, and decision-making come together in Athletics, followed by time for questions and discussion. The session is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, 2026, from 10 to 11 a.m. on Microsoft Teams.