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Getting Started with AI

You've heard that BYU-Idaho wants employees to use AI. But where do you actually start? This guide walks you through the tools available to you, how to access them, and a few practical ways to put them to work right away.

What Tools Are Available?​

BYU-Idaho provides three approved AI tools for employee use:

  • ChatGPT (CES Edu): The most capable option, approved for Public, Internal, and PII data (with a CES license). Best for complex tasks like drafting, analysis, and brainstorming.
  • Copilot: Built into Microsoft 365. Approved for Public and Internal data. Useful for tasks inside the tools you already use (Word, Outlook, Teams).
  • Gemini: Google's AI assistant. Approved for Public and Internal data. Good for research, summarization, and content generation.

Each tool has different data classification levels, meaning what information you can safely use with each one varies. See the Approved Tools page for the full comparison.

How Do I Get Access?​

Important: Always use your institutional account, not a personal one. Personal accounts do not have the data protections that come with university-approved access.

What Can I Use It For?​

Here are a few ways employees are already using AI at BYU-Idaho:

Summarizing documents. Paste a long report, policy draft, or set of meeting notes into ChatGPT and ask for a summary with key action items. This works well for catching up on content you missed or preparing for a meeting.

Drafting communications. Use AI to draft emails, announcements, or reports. Give it the key points you want to cover, the audience, and the tone. Review and edit the output before sending. AI gives you a starting point, not a final product.

Meeting notes. Tools like Zoom and Teams have built-in AI features for recording and summarizing meetings. ChatGPT (CES) is also approved for this purpose. Always notify participants when recording.

Brainstorming and planning. Describe a problem or project and ask AI to suggest approaches, identify risks, or generate an outline. This is especially helpful when you're starting from a blank page.

Organizing information. Ask AI to categorize, restructure, or reformat data. For example, turning a list of bullet points into a table, or reorganizing notes by theme.

Before You Start: Know the Data Rules​

The most important thing to understand before using any AI tool is what data you can and cannot enter. BYU-Idaho uses a four-level data classification system:

  1. Public: Anything you could find on a public website. Safe to use with any approved tool.
  2. Internal: University data that isn't public but isn't sensitive. Use only with BYU-Idaho approved tools.
  3. PII (Personally Identifiable Information): Data that could identify a person (names, student IDs, etc.). Requires approval and is only allowed in ChatGPT (CES Edu).
  4. Restricted: Highly sensitive data (SSNs, medical records, financial accounts). Do not use with any AI tool.

When in doubt, treat the data as more sensitive, not less. See the Data Privacy page for the full guide.

Tips for Getting Better Results​

  • Be specific. Tell AI exactly what you want: the format, the audience, the length, and the tone. Vague prompts produce vague output.
  • Review everything. AI can make things up or get details wrong. Always verify facts, figures, and policy references before using AI-generated content.
  • Iterate. Your first prompt rarely produces the best result. Refine your request, provide feedback, and ask follow-up questions.
  • Keep it conversational. You can correct AI mid-conversation. If it misunderstands, tell it what went wrong and ask it to try again.

For more on getting reliable results, see the Best Practices guides on hallucination, sycophancy, and managing context.

Need Help?​

If you have questions about using AI at BYU-Idaho, or if you need a tool or capability that isn't listed here, submit a request through the IT Help Center - Project Request.