Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming higher education, research, and the workforce – and The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is taking a comprehensive, coordinated approach to ensure students, faculty, and staff are prepared to thrive in an AI-driven world. Through campus-wide initiatives, academic programs, research centers, and secure technology services, The University of Alabama (UA) is embedding AI into teaching, discovery, and day-to-day operations while emphasizing ethics, security, and responsible use.
The Office of Information Technology is lock-step with The University of Alabama in this next step into AI.
Technology, Tools, and Secure AI Use through OIT
While academic units drive innovation and research, OIT plays a critical role in enabling safe, effective AI use across campus. OIT provides guidance, training, and approved tools that allow faculty, staff, and students to use AI responsibly while protecting university and personal data.
Approved AI Tools for the UA Community
OIT maintains an AI Approved List, which identifies AI tools that may be used at UA and outlines how they may be used with different types of data. Approved tools include but are not limited to:
- Microsoft Copilot with Enterprise Data Protection is available to all UA students, faculty, and staff at no cost
- Microsoft 365 Copilot (premium) for faculty and staff seeking deeper integration with Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams
- Zoom AI, Adobe Firefly, GitHub Copilot, and other generative AI tools approved for specific use cases
Each tool is evaluated for security, privacy, and compliance with university policies, giving users clear guidance on what is appropriate for academic, administrative, and instructional work.
AI Tools Available through Microsoft
One of the most widely available AI resources at UA is Microsoft Copilot. All members of the campus community can access a web-based version of Copilot with enterprise data protection using their standard UA credentials. This ensures prompts and responses are encrypted and not used to train public AI models, making it a safer alternative to consumer tools.
For faculty and staff looking to further streamline workflows, Microsoft 365 Copilot offers deeper, context-aware AI features embedded directly into Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams. These tools help users draft content, summarize meetings, analyze data, and automate repetitive tasks, all within the Microsoft applications they already use.
Copilot Studio is a low-code platform for building custom AI agents connected to campus data and workflows. These agents can answer questions or automate routine processes. Using Copilot Studio, individuals with technical skills can build automated assistants, such as knowledge-backed agents for IT assistance, HR assistance, or even advising or program support agents.
The last Microsoft-based AI tool is Azure AI Foundry, an enterprise AI development platform for building, evaluating, and deploying custom AI applications and agents with full security and governance controls. Azure AI foundry requires technical knowledge and AI familiarity, and is much more complex than the low-code Copilot Studio platform. This tool is geared toward researchers, developers, and advanced academic programs building production-grade or research-focused AI systems.
Pilots, Training, and Responsible Adoption
To better understand how AI works in real campus environments, OIT has conducted pilot programs with tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and Otter.AI. These pilots combine hands-on use, training sessions, and feedback to evaluate usability, security, and return on investment before broader adoption.
In addition to pilots, OIT provides training opportunities, documentation, and support to help users learn how to write better prompts, understand AI limitations, and maintain compliance with university policies. This emphasis on education ensures that AI enhances productivity without replacing critical thinking or academic integrity.
Looking Ahead
Artificial intelligence at The University of Alabama is not limited to a single tool or department – it is a coordinated, campus-wide effort that blends innovation with responsibility.
As AI continues to evolve, OIT’s commitment remains clear: advance research, teaching, learning, and operations at UA by providing exceptional technology services and support to students, faculty, and staff.