AI Tools for Facilities Management: Efficiency and Security
We want to clarify the difference between O365 Copilot Chat and M365 Copilot. Both Copilot tools have been reviewed by FMIT and OIT for security, privacy, and CU contract terms.Ìý
O365 Copilot Chat is a web-based AI chat tool that generates answers from web content. All CU staff members have access to O365 Copilot Chat. It's included in our Office license. To access O365 Copilot Chat, visit .
Examples of tasks you can complete using the free O365 Copilot Chat:
- Summarize long email threads
- Generate ideas for documents
M365 Copilot is an upgraded version of Copilot which is integrated into Microsoft 365 apps like Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, offering personalized support based on your work data. M365 Copilot is a subscription-based product that requires an annual fee. The annual cost is approximately $400 per individual; that amount can be prorated for partial year use. Members of our IT and I&R leadership team have been testing out the M365 Copilot product for the past couple of months and have seen many benefits of using the tool. ÌýIf you are interested in M365 Copilot, please speak to your supervisor for approval first, then reach out to fmit@colorado.edu to get the process started.
Examples of tasks you can complete using the upgraded M365 Copilot:
- Email Management: M365 Copilot can help you stay on top of your inbox, draft responses quickly, schedule meetings, and set up rules to organize your emails in Outlook.
- Meeting Preparation: It can assist in scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and creating automatic replies for upcoming vacations.
- Time Management: M365 Copilot can create daily schedules, prioritize tasks, and optimize your weekly schedule using tools like Viva Insights.
- Document Creation and Editing: Integrated into Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, M365 Copilot can help draft documents, analyze data, and create presentations based on your work data.
More AI Explorations
For more information on approved AI tools at ¾«Æ·SMÔÚÏßӰƬ, please visit the CU approved AI tools list. Be sure you use approved tools logged in under your university account to ensure protection of university data. Review the approved data level to determine what type of data should be shared with each tool. Currently, only the add-on licensed version of Microsoft 365 Copilot is rated for non-public data. You should redact confidential information when using tools rated for public data only.
Creative solutions can help you work within these parameters and still receive the great work benefits and efficiencies offered by using AI tools. For example, you can save a Zoom meeting transcript and later use O365 Copilot Chat to summarize it. Before sharing AI generated content, always review the output for accuracy and tone, and double check to ensure correctness and watch for bias.
What's Next?
We encourage you to get familiar with the technology by using it. CU system offers several free, self-paced online Copilot trainings through Percipio/Skillsoft to help you get started. If you get stuck, feel free to ask any member of the FMIT team questions or request a follow-up. We'd love to hear what you find useful or any limitations you encounter. May your AI adventures be as smooth as a well-buffed Kubota.
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