AI Key Points
- As the user of the service, it is your responsibility to ensure that any AI service you intend to use conforms with relevant MTU policies. Policies that may govern your usage include (but are not limited to):
- Any tool you wish to use must provide data security and privacy protections equivalent to those found in our Google Workspace for Education instance. This means (but is not limited to) the following:
- Submitted data must not be used for training/model improvement purposes
- There should be no human review of submitted data
- Data shouldn’t be shared with other users or organizations
- Data should be stored and processed in the US
- Except for Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, you may purchase services directly with your P-Card. For Google and Microsoft AI, please submit a purchase request along with an index for billing. You must have funding available to utilize these tools.
- When you purchase a subscription with University resources, the license(s) should be associated with your MTU account, not a personal account.
- If you intend for students to use an AI tool in an academic course, you must purchase enough licenses for the maximum seat count in the course. Licenses are sold and charged to you in one-year increments.
- Be aware that data retention and usage policies vary by service. Prompts provided by you, along with output from the service provider, may be stored and/or analyzed by the service provider, and prompts or other supplied or outputted data that potentially violates state or federal law may be stored or shared, notwithstanding any privacy protections otherwise afforded.
Common Questions
How do I get access to Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot?
Submit a purchase request through our Service Catalog. You will need to provide an index for billing, the start date you wish the license to be available, and if using with students in a classroom setting, the CRN for the course. Microsoft Copilot will not be available until mid-December while we complete the necessary prerequisite configuration work.
How do I get access to ChatGPT or another AI tool?
These tools are not managed by central IT. Use your p-card (or department/division p-card) to purchase directly from the service provider.
I work with regulated data – can I still use AI tools?
Yes, but with caution – review the AI policy and ensure you’re not utilizing sensitive or restricted data with any AI tools. Additionally, the use of Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft Office in highly regulated data environments is not allowed without the written approval of the relevant VP or senior executive. This includes workspaces where CUI, EAR, GLBA, HIPAA, ITAR, or PCI-covered data is present.
Copilot for Microsoft Office requires specific versions of MS Office. If you purchase a Copilot license and do not see Copilot features in Word, Excel, etc., please contact IT for assistance (email IT or call 906-487-1111).
Why am I getting an error that I don’t have access to the Gemini app when attempting to access Google Gemini (https://gemini.google.com)?
If you haven’t already purchased a license, you must do that first. If you submitted a purchase request that has been finalized, try an incognito/private browsing window or close your web browser and reopen it. If it’s still not working, it’s possible a license hasn’t yet been applied to your account. Please contact IT for assistance (email IT or call 906-487-1111).
Why can’t I use the free versions of paid tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini?
When making use of institutional data, you must ensure AI tools meet or exceed the privacy and security protections of our Google Workspace for Education. In virtually all AI tools currently available, those levels of protections only come from the paid versions of the tools.