Editor’s note: Lesley Gonzalez wrote about her experience using Copilot with Data Protection before wrapping up her time as an ITS Communications student worker. She graduates on May 11 with bachelor’s from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
On February 20, ITS expanded access to Copilot with Data Protection, Microsoft’s enterprise generative AI tool. Now all students, faculty and staff at UNC can use the institutionally scoped chatbot and productivity assistant. Copilot currently generates text with OpenAI’s GPT-4 model and creates images using DALL-E 3.
I started using Copilot with Data Protection to help up my productivity and get familiar with the generative AI tool. Because Copilot has safeguards for data privacy at the forefront of its functioning, I feel safe using the tool for all my productivity needs.
Copilot generative AI has helped me manage my workflow and find new ways of boosting productivity throughout my day. Here are four ways Copilot has helped me.
Drafting and outlining
As a journalism student, I spend a lot of time writing articles. Copilot is a great tool for when I’m stuck on the draft for an article and need some help figuring out how to put my thoughts together.
With a simple prompt asking for an outline for an article on whatever topic I’m writing about, Copilot can quickly provide me with a potential layout for the article that I may not have thought of previously. Copilot can also do this for emails, essays, social media posts and more.
You can even do this in other languages. Copilot can translate its own answers and give you information in other languages if you ask it to, or if you interact with the chatbot in other languages.
While writing an article for my community journalism class, I was able to use an outline generated by Copilot to help inspire my own outline, making the drafting process faster and easier as I had more of an idea of how to approach the story.
The story was based around the ballroom dance community in Durham, and even though I had great interviews, I was a little lost on how to input them all into a 500-word story. Copilot made an easy-to-follow outline for me that broke the story down. With this outline, I was able to make my own more detailed outline and ended up with an article that made sense and was fun to read.
However, always make sure you communicate your AI usage with your professors and avoid plagiarism.
Editing
Another great use for Copilot is editing. If you’re not sure if the tone of your email is right, or you just want to make sure your social media post is ready to go, you can plug it into Copilot and get instant feedback. The generative AI tool can listen to your prompt and give you editing tips based on what you need, whether that’s tone, grammar or even AP style.
Always make sure to cross reference with some of your own proofreading to make sure everything’s accurate. Either way, Copilot is a great starting point for the revision process when you’re not sure what to fix.
In my classes, I conduct a lot of interviews. I used Copilot to edit some of my interview request emails, and the generative AI tool helped catch grammar mistakes and fix my tone so I came across as more professional and concise.
Planning
It can be hard for college students to come up with a routine that works. If you input some details of your schedule into Copilot, like your class times, club times, etc., the AI tool can generate a schedule for you with ideas for self-care and productivity boosters.
I used Copilot to help me integrate more time for self-care into my day based on how my week typically plays out. It was able to not only give me ideas for times to add in new routines but also new ideas for what kinds of habits to add.
Since Copilot always links its sources underneath its answers, I was also able to do further reading and find even more suggestions I liked for my daily routine. Copilot can do this for gym routines, work schedules and more.
As someone who has some strict time slots built into my day, it was incredibly helpful to input them into Copilot and have a schedule built around them. I typically have classes noon through 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and then dance classes and/or club meetings 5 – 9 p.m. Copilot helped build me a morning routine before class that includes time to study, and then time between classes and clubs for self-care and preparation.
Awareness
As AI slowly begins to make its way across campus, getting familiar with some of its uses is helpful for all of UNC-Chapel Hill’s population. I’m getting used to seeing AI mentioned more in my classes as professors find more of its presence in the classroom. Learning how to use it effectively and appropriately is extremely helpful for everyone and can benefit you both in class and outside of it as you navigate campus life.
Copilot with Data Protection helps me feel like my AI use is safe and reliable. A lot of generative AI tools can have issues with “hallucinating” information, but Copilot typically provides sources with its answers which helps you cross reference information much easier. The tool is also well-protected and helps me feel more confident and comfortable using it.
Lesley Gonzalez worked for ITS Communications as a student worker from September 2022 until early May 2024. She previously shared her experience using eduroam while studying abroad. She begins her graduate studies at UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media this fall.
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