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Using AI at ISU

As AI technologies become increasingly integrated into various aspects of academic and professional life, it’s crucial to understand the ethical, legal, and practical considerations involved. This page serves as an introduction, offering key insights and best practices for responsible AI use. For more detailed information on specific topics, including data privacy, academic integrity, and ethical guidelines, please explore the related university resources linked throughout this page.​

ISU’s Information Security Guidance Page: Primer for Artificial Intelligence for Higher Education at ISU

Professional Development Opportunities

For Students

Information about using Generative AI in thesis/ dissertation work, capstones, and comprehensive exams at ISU can be found here:

For Instructors​

Information about teaching with Generative AI at ISU can be found here:

For Researchers​

Reccomendations on using Generative AI at ISU in Research and Sponsored Programs:

For Staff

Information from ISU Marketing and Communications on using Generative AI in image generation:

AI Tools: Coming Soon!

Currently, the tools listed below are the only ISU-supported Generative AI tools. Additional tools are currently in review and may become available soon.

Copilot for the Web 

Copilot for the Web is a GenAI chatbot that can answer queries, produce text, and look up information through Bing. All Office 365 users have access to this tool. Illinois State’s license includes commercial data protection, which means that content is not used to train the model. However, you should not put restricted or highly restricted data into Copilot, including information that would be covered under FERPA or HIPPA.

Note: Copilot is also the name of an AI integration accessible directly through Office 365 apps like Word and Excel, but the University does not currently have access to this iteration of Copilot. 

Grammarly

Grammarly is a general writing assistance tool that includes spelling, style, and grammatical suggestions. In addition, it also includes GenAI brainstorming and summary functions. While the University does not have this function turned on, your students, if they have paid Grammarly accounts, will have access to these tools.

Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly is a GenAI tool that can be used to enhance images and create visual content from text. It is included with our Adobe license, and can be accessed as a stand-alone tool or through integrations in other Adobe software such as Photoshop or Illustrator.

Zoom AI Companion

Zoom AI Companion is a tool that can help draft emails and chat messages and summarize Zoom meetings. It is included with our Zoom license, but these tools are toggled off by default. 

Otter Voice Meeting

Otter Voice Meeting from Otter.AI is GenAI tool that can create transcripts, automated summaries, and action items from meeting transcripts or recordings.

The Committee for Responsible AI at ISU is evaluating a number of tools for privacy and security, and is in talks with a number of different AI companies. Additional information will be posted here as it becomes available.

For Students​

AI tools available to students currently include:

  • Microsoft Copilot
  • Grammarly
  • Adobe Firefly
  • Zoom.ai
  • Otter.ai
For Instructors​

AI tools currently available to instructors include:

  • Microsoft Copilot
  • Grammarly
  • Adobe Firefly
  • Zoom.ai
  • Otter.ai
For Researchers​

AI tools currently available to researchers include:

  • Microsoft Copilot
  • Grammarly
  • Adobe Firefly
  • Zoom.ai
  • Otter.ai
For Staff​

AI tools currently available to staff include:

  • Microsoft Copilot
  • Grammarly
  • Adobe Firefly
  • Zoom.ai
  • Otter.ai

Additional Resources: Coming Soon!

  • Environmental scan of AI programs​ (in process)
  • Understanding Ethics in AI (in process)
  • Understanding Bias in AI (in process)
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