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.

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.

Custom GPTs in ChatGPT Edu allow faculty and staff to create reusable, task-focused AI assistants. External sharing is now available, making it possible to share a custom GPT beyond the university environment. This article explains what custom GPTs are, how sharing works, and what to review before making one available more broadly.