Tools and Use Guidance
Generative AI tools are becoming part of everyday work and learning at Northwestern, and this page helps you get familiar with what’s available. Whether you’re drafting content, summarizing meetings, analyzing data, or just looking for ways to make your day a little easier, this guide breaks down each supported AI tool, who can use it, and what it’s best for. Use this chart as a starting point to find the right tool and get the most out of it.
Chart last updated on March 19, 2026
| Tool Name | What Does It Do? | Who Can Use It? | Recommended Use Cases | Data Types Allowed | Cost | Teach Me How to Use It |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft AI Assistance | ||||||
| Microsoft Copilot Chat | General-purpose AI chatbot; uses GPT and DALL-E models from Open AI | Faculty, Staff, Students | Answer questions, summarize documents, draft emails/content, write code, brainstorm ideas, etc. |  Levels1, 2, 3 (Yes) |
Included with Northwestern Microsoft account | Learn to Use Copilot Chat |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Expanded AI tool embedded in core Microsoft 365 applications; includes Researcher and Analyst functions; option to choose Claude models from Anthropic | Faculty, Staff | Work with and search files and information across your Microsoft account, draft emails and documents, summarize meetings and chats, analyze data in Excel, create presentations, etc. | Levels |
Requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing | Learn Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| Microsoft Copilot for Teams | Meeting transcriptions and summaries; tagging individual users with action items | Faculty, Staff | Summarize meetings, capture action items, answer chat questions, draft follow ups, etc. | Level 1 (Yes) 2, 3 (Yes, with controls) |
Requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing | Learn Microsoft Copilot for Teams |
| Microsoft Teams Premium | Builds on the Teams experience with added capabilities to make meetings more personalized, intelligent, and protected | Faculty, Staff | Host advanced events and webinars, secure end-to-end encrypted meeting conversations, access AI meeting recaps and searchable transcripts | Level 1 (Yes) 2, 3 (Yes, with controls) |
Requires Teams add-on license | Learn Microsoft Teams Premium |
| Other General Generative AI Tools | ||||||
| Google Gemini | General-purpose AI chatbot included with Google Workspace accounts for students | Students with u.northwestern.edu accounts; coming soon for Faculty, Staff | Answer questions, summarize documents, draft emails/content, assist with coding, etc. | Level 1 (Yes)  |
Included with Google Workspace Student account | Explore more with Gemini |
| Developer AI Tools | ||||||
| Amazon Bedrock on Amazon Web Services (AWS) | Cloud-based platform for accessing Meta Llama and Amazon Nova models via API | Faculty, Staff, Students | API access to general purpose foundation LLMs | Level 1 (Yes) 2, 3 (Yes, in a Northwestern account with controls) |
Pay-as-you-go AWS pricing; Faculty and Staff can set up a Northwestern-affiliated account | Find Amazon Bedrock Docs |
| GitHub Copilot | Coding assistance in coding editors, at the command line, or on GitHub using models from Open AI, Anthropic, Google, and other providers | Faculty, Staff, Students | Coding assistance and code review | Level 1 (Yes) |
Per user cost for organizations in the Northwestern GitHub enterprise account; available to students and teaching faculty for free through GitHub Education | Find GitHub Copilot Docs |
| Microsoft Foundry on Microsoft Azure | Cloud-based platform for accessing OpenAI ChatGPT, Meta Llama, and Microsoft foundation models via API | Faculty, Staff, Students | API access to general purpose foundation LLMs | Level 1 (Yes) 2, 3 (Yes, in a Northwestern account with controls) |
Pay-as-you-go Azure pricing; Faculty and Staff can set up a Northwestern-affiliated account; Students can get a $100 credit | Learn more about Microsoft Foundry |
| Vertex AI on Google Cloud | Cloud-based platform for accessing Google Gemini models via API |
Faculty, Staff, Students
|
API access to general purpose foundation LLMs | Level 1 (Yes) 2, 3 (Yes, in a Northwestern account with controls) |
Pay-as-you-go Google Cloud pricing; Faculty/Staff account setup; Student account setup, including $300 initial credit | Find Vertex AI Docs |
| Tools with AI Features | ||||||
| Adobe Creative Cloud | Enables you to create, edit, and publish content across various media using tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro; bolstered by AI features, cloud storage, and asset libraries | Faculty, Staff | Producing brand assets (logos, brochures), advanced image editing, high-quality video production for social media/film, creating interactive mobile/web designs, and 3D modeling | Levels 1, 2, 3 (Yes) |
Annual cost | Learn about Adobe Creative Cloud |
| ArcGIS | Identify and classify objects in geographic imagery and data with ArcGIS Pro. | Faculty, Staff, Students; ArcGIS Pro is only available for Windows. | Research involving point cloud data or aerial, satellite, or other geographic images | Levels 1, 2 (Yes) |
Access to the features is included with Northwestern's ArcGIS license; analysis using ArcGIS Online may have an additional cost | Learn about GIS |
| Panopto | AI-generated captions | Faculty, Staff, Students | Provided automatically on all uploaded videos; supports accessibility requirements. Can be edited or deleted. | Level 1 (Yes) |
Included with Northwestern Panopto account | Automatic on all recordings |
| Zoom AI Companion Meeting Features (Coming Soon) | Generative AI digital assistant for meetings | Faculty, Staff, Students | Summarize meetings, ask in-meeting questions, smart recordings | Level 1 (Yes) |
Included with Northwestern Zoom account | |
Please note:
For all Microsoft Copilot Chat, Copilot for Microsoft 365, and Copilot Teams, users must be logged into their Northwestern accounts (netid@ads.northwestern.edu) to ensure that enterprise protections are in place.
For Google Gemini, users must be logged into their @u.northwestern.edu account to ensure enterprise protections are in place.
For Microsoft Copilot for Teams, level 2 and 3 data may only be used by Northwestern users signed into their accounts who are collaborating via Teams exclusively with other internal Northwestern users, and not with guests or external parties.
Any tool noting the use of level 2 and 3 data “with controls,” must be approved by local technology leaders and the Information Security Office to ensure security and compliance standards are followed. Level 4 data is not allowed in any of the tools listed above.
Storing Data Securely
The Northwestern University data classification policy outlines four levels for University-owned data based on the impact that loss or disclosure would have on the University. This policy applies to all University data, including research data. The Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) data storage policy makes similar distinctions but uses different language to describe the levels.
| Level | Impact Level | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | None or low on the University and affiliates | Already publicly available data |
| 2 | Publicly noticeable impact on the University and affiliates | Unpublished research data |
| 3 | Serious or severe impact on the University – risk of civil or criminal penalties | Protected Health Information (PHI), Controlled Unclassified information (CUI), data subject to some Data Use Agreements (DUAs) |
| 4 | Severe or catastrophic impact on the University or national security - inherent risk of significant fines or penalties, regulatory action, or civil or criminal violations | Government classified data, export-controlled data |