- * About : Microsoft Copilot

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. Microsoft Copilot can answer questions, generate content, and more.

Who can use it

This service is available to active McGill students, faculty, and staff.

How to request access to the service

Request access to the service

There are different versions of Microsoft Copilot. McGill has a license for the Commercial or Enterprise 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 or Enterprise 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 or Enterprise 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 or Enterprise 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 or Enterprise 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:
You will either:
1. Automatically be signed in with your McGill account. If you are signed in with a personal account, sign out and sign in using your McGill credentials.
2. Need to sign in and enter your McGill credentials (first.lastname@mcgill.ca or first.lastname@mail.mcgill.ca)
  
  When signed in with your McGill credentials, this will bring you into the Commercial or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot. In the top right-hand corner of the Copilot window, look for either the shield or the green checkmark symbol that indicates you are logged in to the Commercial or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot.
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 or Enterprise 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 or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot through other supported browsers:

Open your web browser (i.e., Chrome)
Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com/
You will either:
1. Automatically be signed in with your McGill account. If you are signed in with your personal account, sign out and sign in using your McGill credentials.
2. Need to sign in with your McGill credentials. (first.lastname@mcgill.ca or first.lastname@mail.mcgill.ca)

When signed in with your McGill credentials, this will bring you into the Commercial or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot. In the top right-hand corner of the Copilot window, look for either the shield or the green checkmark symbol that indicates you are logged into the Commercial or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Copilot.

Note: If you do not see the shield or green checkmark, 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.

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 or Enterprise 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, it is always wise to be careful with the use of sensitive or restricted material with any tool. For use cases that involve sensitive or restricted data, please log an IT Service Desk ticket. As use cases are gathered, we will engage in additional assessments to determine the suitability of Copilot, considering the use case, the sensitivity level of data, and the quantity of data.

Personal Health Information (PHI) or Payment Card Industry (PCI) remain forbidden for use within 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, either the shield or the green checkmark symbol indicates you are logged in to the Commercial or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot.

How do I access Microsoft Copilot in the sidebar of Microsoft Edge?

Follow these steps:

Click the Microsoft Copilot logo in the top right-hand corner of the Microsoft Edge window.
Use your McGill credentials to sign into the Commercial or Enterprise Data Protection (secure) version of Microsoft Copilot. When signed in with your McGill credentials, ensure that either the shield or the green checkmark symbol appears 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.

Why do I get an authentication error when logging in the first time?

You must allow pop-up windows so the authentication window can be displayed. You will enter and submit your McGill credentials through that window.

Is Microsoft Copilot available on mobile?
Yes, Microsoft Copilot is available on mobile devices via the Microsoft 365 app. You must use your McGill credentials to sign into the app to access the Commercial or Enterprise 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. To download Microsoft 365 on your mobile device, follow the instructions here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/microsoft-365/mobile.

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 the full list of features, tips, and tricks, visit the Microsoft Copilot features and tips page.

How do I completely remove Microsoft Copilot from Microsoft Edge?
Follow these steps:

Open Microsoft Edge.
Click the three dots (...) in the upper right-hand corner and select "Settings."
Click the hamburger menu in the left-hand corner, go to "Sidebar" in the left panel, and click "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 are 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, refer to the Digital Standards Guide and McGill's Web Governance Framework.

It is always wise to be careful with the use of sensitive or restricted material with any tool. For use cases that involve sensitive or restricted data, please log an IT Service Desk ticket. As use cases are gathered, we will engage in additional assessments to determine the suitability of Copilot, considering the use case, the sensitivity level of data, and the quantity of data.

Personal Health Information (PHI) and Payment Card Industry (PCI) data remain forbidden for use within Copilot.

Training & documentation

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.