AI Tools

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving and decision-making. In essence, AI aims to create systems that can simulate human intelligence and cognitive abilities. AI-powered systems can perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence, including recognizing images, understanding and responding to language, making predictions and even generating creative content. 

Artificial Intelligence Taskforce

The UMKC AI Task Force was convened by Provost Lundgren in fall 2025 in response to the growing volume of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and their impact on teaching, research, administration, operations, and workforce preparation. The UMKC AI Task Force was charged with conducting a structured review of existing resources, tools, policies, and practices related to the following sub-committee areas: Academic Experience, Research and Innovation, Business Operations, and Community and Economic Development, identifying gaps and opportunities, and developing actionable recommendations to strengthen university capacity over the next one to three years.
The AI Task Force Report can be found here:  https://www.umkc.edu/provost/docs/about-us/ai-task-force-report.docx   

No-cost tools

Zoom AI Companion is included with all UMKC Faculty and Staff Zoom accounts. No additional purchase is required.

  • Zoom AI Companion - AI-powered personal assistant built into the Zoom platform that helps users with tasks like summarizing meetings, drafting messages, and answering questions. It functions as a dedicated side panel, accessible across Zoom products and uses AI technology to provide context-aware assistance. Key features include in-meeting question-answering, meeting and chat summarization, and content generation for brainstorming and writing, all designed to boost productivity without requiring manual notetaking.

Copilot Basic is included with all UMKC Faculty, Staff, and Student accounts. No additional purchase is required.

  • Copilot Basic (Formerly Microsoft Copilot Chat) - Chat interface for general inquiries and web searches with limited capabilities in document summarization and generation based on input text. Note: Copilot Chat does not offer the robust customization and deep integration with M365 apps available with a paid M365 Copilot subscription.

Available with a paid subscription

Faculty and Staff can purchase licenses for ChatGPT, Copilot for M365, or Teams Premium by submitting the AI License Order form. Once the form is submitted, IS will obtain the necessary fiscal approvals for the purchase. Student employees are only eligible if faculty or staff are purchasing the license with a MoCode.  License purchases are pro-rated quarterly. The full annual cost is listed below with each product.

  • ChatGPT - Generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. ChatGPT can generate human-like conversational responses and enables users to refine and steer a conversation towards a desired length, format, style, level of detail, and language. ChatGPT is built on OpenAI's proprietary series of generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) models and is fine-tuned for conversational applications using a combination of supervised learning and reinforcement learning from human feedback.  More detailed information and pricing options are available on the UMKC ChatGPT resource page.
  • M365 Copilot Premium ($189) - Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium combines the power of language models with your organization’s data—all in the flow of work—to turn your words into one of the most powerful productivity tools on the planet. Copilot provides AI assistance within your everyday apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams), responding to your prompts to help you draft content, analyze data, automate tasks, and collaborate more effectively—all without disrupting your workflow. Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat also inherit the enterprise-grade data security, privacy, and compliance settings you’ve already specified for Microsoft 365, so you can remain in control of your data.  More detailed information is available on the UMKC Copilot resource page.
  • Teams Premium ($22) - Microsoft Teams Premium is an add-on license for Microsoft 365 that provides advanced features to enhance meetings, webinars and virtual appointments, including AI-powered Intelligent Recap, real-time translation, advanced security, and customizable branding. It also offers features for virtual appointments with SMS notifications and analytics, as well as advanced webinars with green rooms and attendee management. 

UMKC is able to procure individual licenses for the following AI tools.  At this time, neither UMKC nor UM System have Enterprise Agreements.  To obtain a license for any of the below submit a request via the New Software Purchase form. The cost and DCL levels will vary with these tools but are happy to match your needs with the right license type.  

It is imperative that you turn off data collection for any of the AI tools that do not have an Enterprise Agreement.  If you have any questions or need help please reach out to umkc-software@umkc.edu.

Options for tools not listed on this page

Approval of additional AI Tool options are subject to UMKC IT Purchase Policy.  You can request a software and security review by submitting the New Software Purchase form.  New tools will have a data classification level determined during the review. After review, approvals may be scoped to all UM System, UMKC only, or specific users based on use case and business justification.  

Third party software offerings and web platforms that are not dedicated AI tools may incorporate features that leverage AI functionality.  If you have questions regarding tools that include AI capabilities please email umkc-software@umkc.edu.

Data Classification Levels

The data classification levels (DCL) and associated requirements are key to the entire data classification system (DCS). All data (regardless of format) must be classified in order to determine what security measures are necessary to adequately protect the University's information assets. Be aware of what types of data you are exposing to AI tools and the potential security risks by reviewing the UM System Data Classification System definitions.  The UM System Education versions of ChatGPT and Copilot have been approved for DCL1 - DCL3 data.  No AI tool has been approved for DCL4 data. All other AI tools will have an acceptable DCL level defined during review of the tool. 

DCL approvals for AI tools only apply to user accounts provisioned by the University which exist in a protected workspace.  Interaction with AI tools should be limited to tools approved by the University which entails contractual obligations for security and data privacy with each vendor in accordance with UM System policies. These protections are not present on personal accounts or accounts created in a public workspace which may lead to unauthorized or unintentional disclosure of sensitive information.

Safeguards When Using AI

  • Responsibility: Identify benefits, risks, and limitations associated with any use case.
  • Accountability: The AI tool is not accountable for any output product or consumption of input that does not fall within the authorized DCL rating. Accountability lies solely on the human interacting with the tool.
  • Privacy: Be vigilant with sensitive information and adhere to all University policies and regulations pertaining to the DCL of the information you are using for inputs.
  • Accuracy: Review and validate AI generated content for errors and maintain oversight over the quality of the output.
  • Transparency: Usage of AI tools may require disclosure to stakeholders and other parties.
  • Copyright: AI generated content is not exempt from copyright laws and other intellectual property rights.
  • Reliance: AI is not a substitute for understanding a topic, especially when involving complex scenarios. Over reliance on AI may lead to misuse or unintended consequences.

AI Use and FERPA Compliance

When using AI tools, faculty must protect student privacy and comply with FERPA:

  • Do not enter student PII (e.g., names, IDs, grades) into non-approved AI systems
  • Use only de-identified data when leveraging AI for teaching or grading support
  • Use institutionally approved tools that meet data privacy standards
  • Remain responsible for safeguarding student education records at all times

When in doubt, avoid sharing student data and consult IT or institutional guidelines before using new AI tools.

Terminology

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. This includes learning to solve problems and make decisions.
  • Generative AI: A type of AI that can create new content, such as text, images, or music, by learning patterns from existing data.
  • Large Language Model (LLM): A type of AI model trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like text.
  • Neural Networks: A series of algorithms that attempt to recognize underlying relationships in a set of data through a process that mimics the way the human brain operate.
  • Parameters: The settings in an AI model that it learns from training data. These settings help determine how the model makes decisions and predictions.
  • Prompt: A prompt is a request you give to an AI chatbot to perform a task, like creating content or researching a topic. The chatbot processes your message and responds based on your instructions.
  • Reinforcement Learning: A type of machine learning where an AI learns by trying different actions and receiving feedback to make better decisions over time.
  • Token: In the context of NLP, a token is a piece of a text string, such as a word or a part of a word, that an AI model reads and processes.
  • Fuzzy Logic: A way for AI to think more like humans by handling uncertainty and considering all possibilities between “yes” and “no.”
  • Hallucination: When AI makes up information that sounds real but isn’t based on actual data or facts.

Use Cases

  • Chatbots: Quickly answer questions, provide summaries, and perform guided data retrieval.
  • Virtual Assistants: Perform routine tasks, assist with scheduling, and create reminders.
  • Summarization: Provide concise overview of long documents or lengthy text.
  • Analysis: Identify key terms, concepts, sentiments, and themes.
  • Transcription: Record and convert audio calls or meetings to text format.
  • Revision: Provide suggestions for tailoring content to a specific audience or matching a specified tone.
  • Coding: Generate code snippets, debug code, suggest improvements, help identify bugs.
  • Image Generation: Provide inputs and parameters to generate new images. 

Resources

Percipio

Microsoft / OpenAI