Service overview
Microsoft Copilot, formerly known as Bing Chat or Bing Chat for Enterprise, is an AI-powered feature integrated into Microsoft Edge and accessible through other browsers. By interacting with the AI chatbot, Microsoft Copilot can answer questions or generate content, and more.
Who can use it
This service is available to active McGill students, faculty, and staff.
How to request access the service
Request access to the service
There are different versions of Microsoft Copilot. McGill has a license for the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version that protects our data and conforms to the University's privacy and data protection standards. It is crucial to use the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version for McGill-related tasks. A public version of Copilot is available, but it does not conform to the University’s privacy and data protection standards and should not be used for McGill-related purposes.
There are two ways to access the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot:
- Through the Microsoft Edge browser
- Through other supported browsers
Accessing Microsoft Copilot through Microsoft Edge
IMPORTANT NOTE:
McGill users must use the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot for McGill-related purposes. The public version of Microsoft Copilot does not conform to the University’s privacy and data protection standards.
To access the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot through Microsoft Edge:
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click the Copilot logo at the very top right-hand side of the Microsoft Edge screen:
3. You will either:
-
- Automatically be signed in with your McGill account (make sure you are NOT signed into your personal account, if so sign out of your personal account and sign in using your McGill credentials)
- Need to sign in and enter your McGill credentials (first.lastname@mcgill.ca)
When signed in with your McGill credentials, this will bring you into the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot. In the top right-hand corner of the Copilot window, look for the green checkmark symbol that indicates you are logged in to the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot.
4. You can now enter questions or prompts into the field at the bottom of the screen.
Accessing Microsoft Copilot through other supported browsers
IMPORTANT NOTE:
McGill users must use the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot for McGill-related purposes. The public version of Microsoft Copilot does not conform to the University’s privacy and data protection standards.
To access the Commercial Data Protection version of Microsoft Copilot through other supported browsers:
- Open your web browser (i.e., Chrome)
- Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/
- You will either:
- Automatically be signed in with your McGill account (make sure you are NOT signed into your personal account, if so sign out of your personal account and sign in using your McGill credentials)
- Need to sign in and enter your McGill credentials (first.lastname@mcgill.ca)
When signed in with your McGill credentials, this will bring you into the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot. In the top right-hand corner of the Copilot window, look for the green checkmark symbol that indicates you are logged in to the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot.
Note: If you do not see the green symbol, try clearing your cache, refreshing your browser or signing out and back in with your McGill credentials (first.lastname@mcgill.ca).
4.You can now enter questions or prompts into the field at the bottom of the screen.
Cost
There is no cost associated with this service.
Availability
NOTES
Microsoft Copilot’s availability and functionality may vary based on your device type, your geographical location, and browser version. If you are experiencing issues, verify that your browser is up to date. For instructions on updating Microsoft Edge see the Microsoft article about Microsoft Edge update settings. Microsoft Edge update settings.
The service is available 24 X 7.
Frequently asked questions
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is the new name for Bing Chat and Bing Chat for Enterprise. It is an AI-powered feature in Microsoft Edge that allows you to use natural language to ask complex questions, get summarized information, generate content, and more.
Is Microsoft Copilot compliant with McGill University's privacy and data standards?
The University’s IT Architecture team evaluated the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot; if users have signed in with their McGill credentials, this version of Microsoft Copilot is safe for use. However, even though users are signed in with their McGill credentials, users should not share any private, sensitive, personally identifiable, Personal Health Information (PHI), Payment Card Industry (PCI) or confidential information when using Microsoft Copilot. The public version of Microsoft Copilot does not conform to the University’s privacy and data protection standards and should not be used for McGill-related purposes.
In the top right-hand corner of the Copilot window, a green checkmark symbol indicates you are logged in to the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot.
How do I access Microsoft Copilot in the sidebar of Microsoft Edge?
- Click the Microsoft Copilot logo in the top right-hand corner of the Microsoft Edge window.
2. Use your McGill credentials to sign into the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot. When signed in with your McGill credentials, ensure that the green symbol is on the top right of the copilot window.
The public version of Microsoft Copilot does not conform to the University’s privacy and data protection standards and should not be used for McGill-related purposes.
Is Microsoft Copilot available on Edge mobile?
Yes, Microsoft Copilot is available on mobile devices. As with the desktop version of Edge, you must use your McGill credentials to sign into the Commercial Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot. The public version of Microsoft Copilot does not conform to the University’s privacy and data protection standards and should not be used for McGill-related purposes.
What can Microsoft Copilot do?
By engaging with an AI chatbot using short “prompts”, Microsoft Copilot can:
- Answer questions
- Compare products and create comparison tables
- Compose text
- Solve a variety of problems (e.g., debug code)
- Organize your browser tabs (only available in Microsoft Edge)
- Summarize documents (e.g., PDFs, text documents) and website content
- Generate an image from natural language prompts (powered by DALL-E)
To see full list of features and tips and tricks, visit the Microsoft Edge:Copilot data protection
How do I completely remove Microsoft Copilot from Microsoft Edge?
If you want to remove Microsoft Copilot completely, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Edge
- Click on the three dots (...) in the upper right-hand corner and select "Settings"
- Click on the hamburger menu
on the left-hand corner, go to “Sidebar” in the left panel and click on “Microsoft Copilot” under “App specific settings.”
- Turn off the options for "Show Copilot" and "Show shopping notifications."
Best practices & policies
When possible, mitigate potential privacy concerns by removing personally identifying information (e.g., names, email addresses, phone numbers. For example, when writing a prompt to draft an email to Joe Smith, replace “Joe Smith” with “XYZ.” As with any AI technology, Copilot may produce results that may be imperfect or inaccurate. It is the user’s responsibility to diligently review Copilot’s responses and generate content to confirm accuracy.
Users should employ their own or publicly available content and avoid situations where the copyright holder has not given permission. Read more about copyright at McGill. For content displayed on McGill's public websites, including content created with generative AI, ensure it aligns with McGill's Digital Standards and Web Governance.
Users should employ their own or publicly available content and avoid situations where the copyright holder has not given permission. Read more about copyright at McGill. For content displayed on McGill's public websites, including content created with generate AI, refer to the Digital Standards Guide and McGill's Web Governance Framework.
Training & documentation
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Copilot documentation
- Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft Learn
Support
- For access/authentication issues and basic assistance using Microsoft Copilot within Edge, contact the IT Service Desk.
- For questions related to content displayed on McGill’s public websites – including content created with generative AI and your responsibilities, visit the Digital Standards Guide and McGill’s Web Governance Framework.
- For more information about using AI for teaching, read the set of approved recommendations from the Senate Sub-committee on generative AI for teaching and learning at McGill and consult the Teaching and Learning Knowledge Base article on using generative AI in teaching and learning.