Copilot data security at UM

In 2025, the Microsoft 365 App enabled Copilot Chat for all UM accounts. This change has prompted questions about data security and privacy when using this AI-powered assistant.  

What you need to know

All UM M365 accounts come with enterprise data protection. This protection ensures that:

• Your data is secure
• Your data is private
• You are protected against AI security and copyright risks
• Your data is not used to train foundation models

Using AI at UM

In Fall 2025, UM approved and released Guiding Principles for using AI at UM. These Principles include specific considerations on privacy, data security and mitigating risk. UM has ensured Copilot and all M365 products comply with these Principles. 

This means: 

• Privacy and data security are not compromised.
  “UM must ensure that appropriate risk assessments and operational controls are implemented so that our UM data (including that of faculty, students and staff) is not compromised, that privacy is maintained for our user community, and that intellectual property is protected.”
   
• Risks are mitigated.
  “UM recognizes there are internal and external risks associated with the use of AI and seeks to eliminate or optimally reduce harms. These risks include but are not limited to exposure of personal or institution data to third parties, copyright infringement and loss of reputation resulting from processes or decisions that rely on AI. UM will continue to review enterprise AI systems within the context of data governance and UM governing documents to minimize risk to faculty, students, and staff.”

It is entirely your choice whether to use Copilot.  
(Note: Other AI-assistant chat apps (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), are not covered by UM enterprise data protection.)