Using Artificial Intelligence at Iowa State

Microsoft Copilot is a web-based artificial intelligence tool. Enter a prompt into the message box provided, and the tool will assist with your request.

• Chat and ask questions: Get answers, summaries, explanations and writing help.
• Search the internet with Bing: Copilot can search the web in real time to provide up-to-date information.
• Generate content, including images: Ask Copilot to draft written content. Also create AI-generated images.
• Get help with code: Get assistance with programming, debugging and code generation.
• Analyze documents and images: Upload files (like PDFs or Word docs) and ask questions about them. Or upload images and ask questions about them (e.g., diagrams, charts, or photos).  
• Benefit from language translation: Copilot supports many languages and can translate or converse in them. 

Google Gemini is a web-based artificial intelligence tool. Enter a prompt into the message box provided, and the tool will assist with your request.

• Chat and ask questions: Get help with writing, brainstorming, summarizing and learning new topics.
• Search the internet with Google: Pull in real-time information from the web to answer questions with up-to-date facts. Select the “Deep Research” within the prompt box to gather in-depth information on complex topics, with various sources listed for further exploration.
• Generate content: Ask Gemini to draft written content.
• Understand images: Upload images and ask questions about them (e.g., analyze a chart or identify objects).
• Get help with code: Generate, explain and debug code in multiple programming languages.
• Export to Google Workspace: Export responses directly to  Docs,  Gmail, or  Sheets. However, Iowa State University uses Microsoft products (Word, Outlook and Excel) as its productivity apps rather than the Google Suite.
• Benefit from language translation: Translate or converse in the many languages supported by Gemini. 

NotebookLM is a Google product, different from the Gemini AI tool. While it’s built on Gemini’s foundation, NotebookLM doesn’t search the web — it focuses only on the materials you provide. First select the “Create new notebook” button and upload or link files. Then enter a prompt into the message box provided.

• Upload and analyze sources: Add Google Docs, PDFs, or pasted text as “sources” for your notebook.
• Ask questions about your content: Ask questions about your uploaded materials. NotebookLM will cite the source and highlight relevant excerpts. Even ask questions that span across multiple documents at once.
• Generate summaries and ideas: Automatically create summaries, outlines, or brainstorm ideas based on your content.
• Create custom notes: Write and organize your own notes alongside AI-generated content. 

Adobe Firefly is a generative AI tool that assists with photo editing, graphic design and image generation. Firefly is trained on images from Creative Commons, Wikimedia, Flickr Commons, Adobe Stock and public domain content. As a result, outputs are commercially safe.

• Generate and modify images: Create visuals from text prompts and customize the style and composition. Edit images by adding or removing objects, changing backgrounds, or applying effects. File types include .svg, .jpeg and .png.
• Generate and modify videos: Create short video clips from either text prompts or still images. Use editing features like AI-enhanced transitions, color correction and auto-resizing. File type includes .mp4.
• Save to Creative Cloud Library: Save generated images directly to Creative Cloud Libraries making them accessible in other Adobe apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.  

Cybox is one of the university’s file storage apps. An AI tool is now available right within that platform. You can select from pre-populated prompts, such as “summarize the document,” or use the message box to interact with the tool. Box AI will not modify files directly, but does provide instructions or suggestions for the users to do so.

• Chat and ask questions: Box AI can answer questions such as: “How many words are in this article?” and “How long would it take to read this script?” For spreadsheet files, you can also ask Box questions such as “What is the sum of column B?”
• Analyze documents and images: Get summaries and suggestions for improvement for document and image files.
• Generate content: Ask Box AI to draft written content.

Box AI is not currently supported for audio and video file types, such as .mp3 and .mp4.

How to access: Open the Cybox app at login.iastate.edu. Open the desired file and select the Box AI button from the top toolbar or right side window

Grammarly is a digital writing-support tool that offers review suggestions for correctness, clarity, engagement, delivery and style guide. Enter a prompt into the message box provided, and the tool will assist with your request.

• Analyze documents and writing: Get summaries and suggestions for improvement.
• Generate content: Ask Grammarly to draft and adjust writing based on tone, style, length and other criteria. A button is available to insert the generated content into your document.
• Acknowledge Grammarly gen AI use: In the document, insert the following statement: “To assist in the writing process, these Grammarly AI prompts were used: […]

How to access: Open the Grammarly app at app.grammarly.com. Open the desired file and select “Write with generative AI” in the upper right. 

Copilot 365 is Microsoft’s AI tool built right into apps like Word and Outlook. While Copilot on the web is only available through a web browser, Copilot 365 is integrated into Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and Loop. Select the Copilot button in the toolbar of your open Microsoft app to begin.

You can use Copilot 365 to do all the same things as Copilot on the web: Chat and ask questions, generate content, get help with code, analyze documents and images, benefit from language translation.

In addition, you have the option to use “work” mode at copilot.microsoft.com. Standard Copilot browses the web when generating content based on your prompts, but Copilot 365 browses the web AND your Microsoft files to generate content that is more relevant for your need. Copilot 365 is connected to your Teams chats, Outlook emails, documents and files stored in OneDrive and more.  

Ways to use Copilot 365

• Outlook: To summarize long email threads, draft replies, create Inbox rules, find meeting times and send meeting invite.
• Excel: To write or explain formulas, summarize data and create pivot tables.
• Word: To write or revise documents, insert relevant content from emails, and provide summaries.
• PowerPoint: To turn Word documents into slide decks, get suggestions for layouts and visuals, write or revise content and add speaker notes.
• Teams: Summarize meetings from recordings, view speaking intervals of attendees, suggest action items, help prepare agendas.