AI Tools

Institutionally licensed tools
(Ok to use for Confidential/Sensitive data as needed)

• Copilot Chat is a secure, enterprise-grade generative AI assistant available to the Western University community, built upon a specialized version of OpenAI's GPT models. Copilot Chat at Western includes Enterprise Data Protection, ensuring that any information shared within the chat is not used to train the underlying models and remains isolated within Western's protected environment.
  
  Note: As of April 15, 2026, Microsoft removed Copilot from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for Copilot Chat users. If you would like to access Copilot on these tools, you must purchase a M365 Copilot license. 
  
  
• M365 Copilot is an AI-powered add-on for the Microsoft Office 365 Suite that integrates directly into apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The primary advantage is that it is grounded in your organizational data, such as OneDrive files, Outlook emails, and Teams chats, allowing it to summarize meetings or draft documents based on your internal work. It is available to faculty and staff but requires a paid subscription; requests to purchase should be submitted through JIRA.
  
  Note: Enterprise Data Protections are only applied if you are logged in using your Western credentials. You can verify if you are logged into Copilot by looking in the upper right-hand corner of the Copilot page for the green shield icon. 

Copilot Chat

Microsoft 365 Copilot

A general AI chat tool

An AI assistant built directly into Microsoft apps

Prompts can be entered in a chat window, plus limited access in Outlook and Teams

It works inside Word, Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

Good for drafting, brainstorming, and summarizing

Best for everyday work tasks using your files and emails

Included with eligible Microsoft 365 accounts

Requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license

What is Copilot Chat?

Copilot Chat is a generative AI tool but protected by your Microsoft 365 work account. You can enter a prompt, and it generates a response.

With the free version, Copilot Chat is primarily used as a chat tool, with limited access in Outlook and Teams.

You can use Copilot Chat to:

• Rewrite a paragraph in plainer language
• Summarize a policy or document you upload
• Brainstorm ideas for an email, presentation, or event
• Ask general questions or get help getting started

Copilot Chat runs in a browser, desktop app, or mobile app. While it can assist in Outlook and Teams, it remains separate from the full in-app experience available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft 365 Copilot is Copilot embedded directly inside the tools you already use every day.

Instead of copying text into a chat window, Copilot works where the work happens.

Examples:

• In Word, it can draft or revise a document based on your files
• In Outlook, it can summarize an email thread or suggest a reply
• In Teams, it can recap a meeting and list action items
• In PowerPoint, it can turn an outline into slides
• In OneNote, it can summarize notes and organize content
• In Excel, it can analyze data and build formulas

You don’t need to explain your context as much because Copilot already knows where you are working and which files you have access to.

When would I use Copilot Chat?

Use Copilot Chat when:

• You want help thinking, drafting, or rephrasing
• You’re working across ideas, not a specific file yet
• You want a quick summary or explanation
• You’re unsure where to start

When would I use Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Use Microsoft 365 Copilot when:

• You’re actively working in Word, Outlook, Excel, OneNote, Teams, or PowerPoint
• You want AI help that uses your emails, meetings, or documents
• You want to save time on routine work (summaries, drafts, recaps)
• You want AI help without switching tools

What do they have in common?

Both:

• Are tied to your Western Microsoft 365 account
• Respect existing file and email permissions
• Keep your work data protected
• Help with writing, summarizing, and idea generation

• ChatGPT from OpenAI is available at no cost with a free tier that lets you interact with powerful language models subject to usage limits and stricter rate caps on advanced features like file uploads and some forms of reasoning. Paid subscription plans, such as Plus, Pro, and Business/Enterprise unlock higher usage limits and access to more capable models and features.

• Gemini from Google offers both free and paid tiers. The free tier provides access to a highly capable model optimized for fast, general assistance with common tasks like summarization and drafting. The paid tier, known as Gemini Advanced, utilizes a significantly more powerful, state-of-the-art model. This premium model excels in complex analysis, advanced reasoning, and is specifically designed to handle and process much larger documents or substantial amounts of text with greater depth and capacity.

• Notebook LM from Google offers a specialized approach to information management by grounding its intelligence in your specific documents. The standard experience provides a streamlined interface for creating "notebooks" where the model analyzes uploaded sources to generate summaries, citations, and structured outlines. The platform's defining feature, Audio Overview, transforms static text into dynamic, podcast-style discussions between two AI hosts. By focusing strictly on the context you provide, it minimizes hallucinations and ensures that insights—whether in the form of study guides, FAQs, or deep-dive briefings—remain anchored to your personal or professional data.

• Claude from Anthropic offers both free and paid tiers, with a range of models at different capability and price levels (Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus). Claude is known for strong performance in writing, analysis, coding, and handling nuanced or complex instructions. Anthropic emphasizes safety and helpfulness in Claude's design, and the models tend to be particularly capable at following detailed guidance and producing thoughtful, well-structured responses. 

• OpenClaw is an open-source, autonomous engine built to transform standard messaging interfaces into active command centers. Rather than simply generating text, it performs tasks directly on your local machine or server—handling file operations, shell commands, and web browsing across platforms like Signal, Discord, and WhatsApp. It operates through a persistent heartbeat system, allowing it to take initiative on scheduled workflows or monitor external triggers without manual intervention. Because it is self-hosted, your data remains in your own environment, stored in transparent Markdown files rather than proprietary clouds. You maintain full control over your models and your privacy. It represents a fundamental shift from passive chat to proactive, system-level execution.

• Perplexity.ai is an AI assistant designed to help you find clear, accurate, and up‑to‑date information quickly. It can answer questions, explain complex topics in simple terms, and assist with research, writing, and everyday problem‑solving—all in a conversational, easy‑to‑read style.

• Cohere is a Canada-based international technology company focused on artificial intelligence. Cohere provides a suite of artificial intelligence tools specifically designed for enterprise environments, focusing on productivity, search, and generative capabilities.

• Llama is a family of state-of-the-art open-weights large language models developed by Meta, designed to provide developers and organizations with the flexibility to build, customize, and deploy sophisticated AI applications. Unlike many proprietary models that are locked behind specific cloud interfaces, Llama is released with its weights available for download, enabling local execution and fine-tuning for specialized tasks like coding, multilingual translation, and complex reasoning.

• Grok is a large language model developed by xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, designed to provide a more rebellious and unfiltered alternative to other AI assistants. One of its primary differentiators is its real-time access to the flow of information on the X platform, allowing it to answer questions about breaking news and current events that other models might miss due to their static training data.