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Which chatbot should I use?
If you need to work with confidential or sensitive data...
All Western University data stored, processed or transmitted on or through the University resources or where University business occurs can be classified as either confidential, sensitive or public, and must be protected accordingly using appropriate security measures consistent with the University’s Data Handling Standard. (see cybersmart.uwo.ca for more information)
Microsoft Copilot Chat and M365 Copilot are included in Western's institutional license with Microsoft. When logged in with your Western credentials, your data receives enterprise-level protections comparable to Outlook, OneDrive, and other enterprise Microsoft products.
This means Copilot is generally appropriate for confidential or sensitive information, though personally identifiable information (PII) such as student and staff numbers, addresses, academic records, health records etc. should still be avoided. AI tools require thoughtful, case-by-case judgment and no blanket policy can declare any product completely safe.
To reiterate, these protections are only applied if you are logged in using your Western credentials and you are accountable for verifying that you're logged in before entering sensitive data. 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. 
If you are working with personal information a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is mandatory as of July 1, 2025. Please see the privacy website for details.
If your work does NOT involve any confidential or sensitive information, you should use the most capable generative AI model available.
See the AI tools page for more information.
Which one is the best?
There is no “best” model at the moment. Personal preference and use case play a significant role in what will suit you best.