AI apps
Leverage these apps to support your work.
AI chat assistants
Copilot Chat
Best for quick drafting, summaries and everyday work in Microsoft tools.
Eligibility: Students, faculty and staff
Included with Microsoft Office
Illinois ChatGPT
Best for deeper writing, research, and complex problem-solving.
Eligibility: Faculty and staff
$11 per month on WebStore
Google Gemini
Best for brainstorming, quick content creation, and general Q&A.
Eligibility: Students, faculty and staff
Included with Google license
Looking for more tools or not sure which tool fits your work? Select a category below or explore AI apps tables to compare features, eligibility and data guidance.
Chat, writing and analysis tools
These tools help with everyday work like drafting emails, summarizing documents, brainstorming ideas and doing light research. Note: Certain licensed resources, including University Library materials, are subject to publisher agreements and may not be uploaded to or shared with AI tools.
| App name | Best for | Eligibility | Approved Data | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois ChatGPT | Advanced writing, research, admin tasks | Faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | $11 per month on WebStore. |
| Illinois Chat | Customized chatbot development | Students, faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive* ✅ Internal ✅ Public *Locally hosted models only | No Cost. Supported by Illinois Computes, NCSA and Office of the CIO |
| Microsoft Copilot Chat | Drafting, summaries, general AI chat | Students, faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Included in Microsoft Office. |
| Google Gemini | General AI reasoning and content creation | Students, faculty & staff | ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Included with Google license. |
| Google NotebookLM | Document-based research and synthesis | Students, faculty & staff | ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Included with Google license. |
| Zoom AI Companion | General AI reasoning and content creation | Students, faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Included with Zoom. |
Meeting and collaboration tools
These tools support meetings by generating summaries, transcripts and action items. They’re best used to save time after meetings, not to replace judgment or decision-making. Be especially mindful of what gets recorded or summarized and avoid using these tools for sensitive conversations.
| App Name | Best for | Eligibility | Data | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams Premium | AI meeting tools and intelligent recap | Faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | $2 per month on WebStore. |
| Zoom AI Companion | AI meeting summaries and transcripts | Students, faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Included in Zoom. |
Advanced and research tools
These tools support specialized work, including software development, advanced integrations, and research computing.
| App Name | Best for | Eligibility | Data | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Computes Research and Advanced Compute Tools | High-performance computing, GPU access, large-scale AI model training and research workloads | Graduate Students, Faculty & Research Staff | Subject to research data security requirements. ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Baseline allocations available at no cost. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Add-On | AI across Outlook, Word, Teams, and OneDrive | Faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | $28 per month on WebStore. |
| GitHub Copilot | Code completion and developer productivity | Faculty & staff | ✅ Sensitive ✅ Internal ✅ Public | Review the Security and Privacy Resources before use. |
Data Classification and AI Use
Only use AI tools with data you’re allowed to share. See the Illinois data classification guidance and the GenAI data handling best practices page for more information. If you’re unsure, contact securitysupport@illinois.edu.
See the approved data classifications for each tool in the tables above.
Information intended for public release. No adverse impact if disclosed.
Non-public university data intended for internal use. Potential operational impact if disclosed.
Role-restricted or sensitive university data. Serious privacy or operational risk if improperly shared.
Regulated or high-risk data (e.g., SSNs, credit cards, protected health information). Never enter into AI tools.