AI tools at Carolina
Across campus, Tar Heels are exploring generative AI and finding innovative uses for teaching, learning, work and play. As the central IT organization serving all of Carolina, ITS provides access to and guidance for software and tools, including generative AI.
Centrally supported AI tools
ITS leads UNC-Chapel Hill in planning, implementing and maintaining the University’s technology services and accelerates the University’s academic and research pursuits.
By delivering centrally supported AI tools, ITS helps faculty focus on how AI can enhance their teaching and learning, without having to worry about what students can use. Common tools also power employee explorations of best practices and common use cases across departments and units.
Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection
Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection, formerly called Bing Chat Enterprise, is an institutionally-scoped generative AI chat tool available to all students, faculty and staff. Copilot can generate both text and images.
- When you use the enterprise version of Copilot, Microsoft does not store or view your chats. Your queries are encrypted, and Microsoft does not use UNC-Chapel Hill data or queries to train any of its models. Your identity is used only to determine if you are eligible to access the tool. After you authenticate and access Copilot with Data Protection, your user identity information is removed.
- Tar Heels can access Copilot directly or as part of the Microsoft Bing search engine. Be sure to by sign into Copilot with your UNC account before you begin to access the enterprise version with additional data protection.
- Microsoft offers several versions of Copilot with different capabilities. Note that Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection does not have access to your Microsoft 365 files or apps.
Adobe Creative Cloud: Firefly & Sensei
Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers have access to Sensei and Firefly, two tools within the Creative Cloud umbrella that enable the creation and editing of graphic and video content. ITS provides free access to Adobe Creative Cloud to students and instructional staff and licenses to non-instructional staff at a greatly reduced rate.
- Adobe applies content credentials, a kind of “tamper-evident metadata” to some content created with Firefly. This helps identify which AI tool was used and if AI was used to edit or create the content.
- Adobe stated that Firefly generative AI is “safe for commercial use” and specifies events and features that are covered by copyright indemnification.
Resources
Learn to use AI
The first step toward AI literacy is developing a foundational understanding of AI best practices and specific skills, such as prompting. LinkedIn Learning offers courses on AI from the basics of the AI landscape to tool-specific guidance to considerations for using AI ethically. ITS provides free access to LinkedIn Learning free for faculty, staff and students.
- 3 tips to get started with AI includes a curated list of LinkedIn Learning courses, including pathways for managers (March 2024)
Use AI safely and responsibly
- Follow University guidelines about using AI tools appropriately and ethnically.
- Refer to guidance for employees, guidance for students or guidance for the research community for campus-specific best practices.
- You must also safeguard the University’s and your own information.
- Comply with federal and state privacy regulations and safe computing best practices.
- You have a responsibility to exercise due care over any data you submit to a third party.
- Do not use AI tools for protected health information (PHI), or data subject to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), or Tier 3 data.
What’s next
ITS is working on several AI-related pilots, including:
- OpenAI Sandbox for faculty and researcher use
- Piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365
- Use case discovery project for Operational Excellence