As part of our commitment to innovation and digital transformation, the university is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across many of the enterprise applications we support. This initiative aligns with Integrate AI, one of the four strategic pillars guiding our approach to building a nexus of collaboration, tools, and resources that empower our community to harness AI effectively and responsibly. This space provides information on AI features and tools currently available in university-supported platforms, helping faculty, staff, and students enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and support teaching, learning, and administrative functions.
We encourage you to explore the tools below and consider how they might support your work. As AI technologies continue to evolve, so too will the tools available in our enterprise environment. This list will be updated regularly to reflect new capabilities and opportunities.
Guidelines
To support the ethical and effective integration of artificial intelligence across our academic community, the university has developed a set of guiding principles, role-based guidelines, and best practices. These resources are designed to provide a practical framework for faculty, staff, and students as they explore and implement AI tools in their teaching, research, learning, and administrative work.
AI Tools at George Mason
| Name | Description | Access | Cost | Resources | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe AI (Enterprise) | Productivity; Designed to enhance the creativity, intelligence, and ingenuity | Full Access | Available at no extra cost | Adobe Enterprise for Faculty, Staff and Students Help | |
| Microsoft Copilot Chat (Basic) | Productivity; AI assistant that helps solve problems, generate content, summarize documents, and explore ideas | Full Access | Available at no extra cost | Microsoft Apps Support | |
| PatriotAI | Academic, productivity, analysis and development; Access to large language models (Claude, ChatGPT, and OpenAI) that aid academic work, studies, and student life | Full Access | Available at no extra cost | PatriotAI Help | |
| Zoom AI Companion | Meeting summary and support to the host; Powerful, real-time capabilities to help improve productivity and work more effectively | Full Access | Available at no extra cost | Webconferencing Tools Help |
In addition to the AI tools available enterprise-wide listed above, the following are the AI tools approved by the Architectural Standards Review Board (ASRB) for use by specific departments or use cases. These services are available for use, but MUST NOT be used with highly sensitive or restricted data.
See the ASRB Ready Software List for approved software for use within the George Mason community.
| Tool | Description | Comments & Context |
|---|---|---|
| Mindbridge AI | Utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to identify financial data errors and anomalies | Costello College of Business – Accounting Instruction class |
| CollegeVine AI capability | College guidance services | No Commonwealth data will be used in the training of any AI models other than the AI Recruit agent that George Mason is training. Information includes institutional details, marketing materials, marketing emails, and other relevant content to train the CollegeVine AI agent. |
| ChatGPT ** | A generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI | Limited approval, for Public Use Data Only. No highly sensitive or Protected data is to be used. |
**For ChatGPT Plus and Pro, ensure “Improve the model for everyone” is disabled by following these instructions:
On the Web (Signed-In)
- Click your profile icon in the bottom left corners
- Select Settings
- Navigate to Data Controls
- Toggle off ”Improve the model for everyone”
On Mobile
- Open the sidebar menu
- Tap your profile icon
- Select Data Controls
- Turn off ”Improve the model for everyone”
- Once disabled, this setting applies across all devices linked to your account. Your chat history remains accessible, but your conversations won’t be used for model training.
- For extra protection, use temporary chats. Enable Temporary Chat Mode to prevent chats from being saved in your history and used for training. These chats only last several hours and aren’t used for model improvement. They don’t appear in your archive, and they’re hard-deleted after 30 days.
| Tool | Description | Comments & Context |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek | An artificial intelligence large language model natural language processing chatbot developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd. | Per Commonwealth of Virginia Executive Order 46, this tool is strictly prohibited on all university-owned devices and university networks. |
Want an AI Tool Reviewed for Use at George Mason?
- Tools approved for use are subject to the Commonwealth of Virginia Requirements and Restrictions
- Request the evaluation of a tool by contacting the Architectural Standards Review Board (ASRB)
Choosing the Right AI Tool
| Comparison Criteria | Copilot | Copilot Premium | PatriotAI | Azure AI Foundry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Everyday productivity | Deep Microsoft 365 integration | George Mason-specific Q&A and tasks | Research, development, custom AI applications |
| Who can use it | All George Masonfaculty, staff, and students | Licensed users | All George Mason faculty and staff | Departments, colleges, and research teams |
| Data sensitivity | Public or internal data only | Public or internal data only | George Mason internal data | Depends on configuration |
| Requires ITS provisioning | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cost to department | No cost – Included | Per User Annual License required | No Cost – Included | Azure Cloud Subscription – Consumption Billed to department |
| Custom AI models | No | No | No | Yes |
| API access for developers | No | No | No | Yes |
What it is: Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant integrated into your browser and Microsoft 365 applications. It uses large language models to help with writing, summarizing, answering questions, and generating content.
What it’s good for:
- Drafting emails, documents, and presentations
- Summarizing long documents or meeting notes
- Answering general questions and research assistance
- Generating images and creative content
- Everyday productivity tasks
What it is not for:
- Sensitive, confidential, or regulated university data
- Building custom AI applications
- Research requiring reproducible, auditable AI outputs
- Tasks requiring George Mason-specific institutional knowledge
How to access: Available through your browser at copilot.microsoft.com using your George Mason credentials. Also accessible within Microsoft 365 applications.
Data and privacy: Do not submit seansitive, confidential, restricted, or regulated data to Microsoft Copilot. Use only for public or general internal information. Review George Mason Data Stewardship Policy 1114 before use.
What it is: Microsoft 365 Copilot is the premium, licensed version of Copilot with deep integration into Microsoft 365 applications — including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It can reason across your emails, documents, meetings, and calendar.
What it’s good for:
- Summarizing your emails and meetings automatically
- Drafting documents using content from your existing files
- Generating PowerPoint presentations from Word documents
- Analyzing data in Excel with natural language
- Catching up on missed Teams meetings with AI-generated summaries
- Finding lost files, emails, or other communications you know you had somewhere!
What it is not for:
- Sensitive, confidential, or regulated university data
- Building custom AI applications or deploying AI models
- Research requiring controlled AI environments
How to access: Requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Contact your department IT representative or ITS to inquire about licensing.
Data and privacy: Microsoft 365 Copilot operates within your Microsoft 365 tenant and your organizational data boundary. Review your data classification before use. Do not use with restricted or regulated data without consulting ITS.
What it is: PatriotAI is George Mason University’s internally hosted AI assistant, designed specifically for the George Mason community. It provides AI assistance in a George Mason-governed environment, making it appropriate for a broader range of university data than consumer AI tools.
What it’s good for:
- AI assistance with George Mason-specific tasks and workflows
- Work involving general internal university data
- Faculty and staff who need an AI tool beyond consumer options
- Exploring AI capabilities in a George Mason-supported environment
What it is not for:
- Highly sensitive or regulated data — consult ITS for guidance
- Building or deploying custom AI models
- Research requiring API access or fine-tuned models
- Developer or application integration use cases
How to access: Available to all faculty and staff. Access PatriotAI through https://patriotai.gmu.edu with your George Mason credentials.
Data and privacy: PatriotAI operates within a George Mason-governed environment. Consult George Mason Data Stewardship Policy 1114 and your data classification before submitting sensitive information.
What it is: Azure AI Foundry is a managed, enterprise-grade AI platform that gives departments, colleges, and research teams access to a curated catalog of AI models — including OpenAI GPT-4o, Anthropic Claude, Meta Llama, Mistral, and others — within a dedicated, ITS-provisioned Azure environment governed to George Mason security standards.
ITS provisions a dedicated Azure Subscription with AI Foundry configured and secured to George Mason requirements. The department then manages their own AI model deployments, usage, and costs within that environment.
What it’s good for:
- Research requiring secure, auditable, and reproducible AI outputs
- Departments building AI-powered applications or internal tools
- Faculty and researchers needing API access to foundation models
- Projects with compliance requirements — HIPAA, FERPA, Data Use Agreements
- Teams wanting to fine-tune models on their own data
- Grant-funded projects requiring documented AI infrastructure
What it is not for:
- Casual or everyday productivity use — use Copilot or PatriotAI instead
- Teams without a technical owner who can manage deployments and costs
- Projects that haven’t identified appropriate data classification
Key features:
- Access to the Azure AI Foundry model catalog — OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Meta Llama, Mistral, and more
- Dedicated Azure Subscription scoped to your department or project
- Serverless API access to models via endpoint URL and API key — no ongoing portal login required for day-to-day use
- ITS-provisioned hub and baseline configuration aligned to George Mason security standards
- Integration with George Mason DNS, Identity Management, and core services
- Department self-service management of model deployments via the AI Foundry portal or API
How to access: Submit a request through the ITS Service Catalog. Requests are reviewed by Cybersecurity Operations and require approval from your department’s designated business approver. Standard provisioning time is 8 business days or less.
➡ Request Azure AI Foundry Access — ITS Service Catalog
What does it cost: All Azure AI Foundry usage costs — including token consumption, compute, storage, and required security controls — are billed directly to the requesting department or project via Org Code and Fund Code. ITS does not charge for provisioning.
Data and privacy: Azure AI Foundry supports a range of data sensitivity levels depending on configuration. Research with compliance requirements — CMMC, HIPAA, Data Use Agreements — should contact ITS before submitting a request to ensure appropriate configuration. Review George Mason Data Stewardship Policy 1114 before use.
Which Tool Should I Use?
Use Copilot or Copilot Premium if: You need help with everyday writing, summarizing, or productivity tasks using public or general internal information.
Use PatriotAI if: You want an AI assistant in a George Mason-governed environment for general university work.
Use Azure AI Foundry if: You are doing research, building an AI application, need API access to foundation models, have compliance requirements, or need a governed environment for sensitive data.
Not sure? Contact ITS, and we’ll help you identify the right tool for your use case.
AI Events & Training
Integrate AI Training Opportunities
| Event | Description | Date(s) & Time | Audience | Location | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting Started with Agents | Discover how Copilot Agents can help streamline repetitive tasks, find information, and support common workflows. This session will demonstrate how agents work and help identify opportunities to use them in day-to-day work. | Wednesday, October 7, 2026 2 – 3 p.m. | Faculty/Staff Copilot Chat Premium license required. | Virtual | Faculty/Staff Registration (MasonLeaps) |
| Copilot in Excel | Learn how Copilot in Excel can help analyze data, identify trends, create formulas, and uncover insights using natural language. Explore practical examples to spend less time manipulating data and more time understanding what it means. | Thursday, October 8, 2026 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Faculty/Staff Copilot Chat Premium license required. | Virtual | Faculty/Staff Registration (MasonLeaps) |
| Customizing Your Own Agent | Move beyond using pre-built agents and learn how to customize Copilot Agents for specific needs. This session will introduce ways to tailor an agent’s instructions, knowledge, and behavior to support tasks, processes, and workflows. | Tuesday, November 3, 2026 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Faculty/Staff Copilot Chat Premium license required. | Virtual | Faculty/Staff Registration (MasonLeaps) |
| Copilot Chat Advance Prompting | Take your prompting skills to the next level with techniques for getting more accurate, relevant, and useful results from Copilot Chat. Learn how context, structure, iteration, and clear instructions can transform a basic prompt into a more effective AI interaction. | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Faculty/Staff/Students Open to users with Copilot Basic and Copilot Premium licenses. | Virtual | Faculty/Staff Registration (MasonLeaps) Student Registration (Microsoft Form) |
| Copilot in Word | Discover how Copilot in Word can help draft, revise, summarize, and transform documents more efficiently. Learn practical techniques for using Copilot as a writing partner while maintaining your voice, judgment, and responsibility for the final content. | Thursday, December 3, 2026 2 – 3 p.m. | Faculty/Staff Copilot Chat Premium license required. | Virtual | Faculty/Staff Registration (MasonLeaps) |
| Copilot in PowerPoint | Learn how Copilot in PowerPoint can help create presentations, transform content into slides, and refine your messaging. Explore practical ways to accelerate presentation development while keeping your story, audience, and objectives at the center. | Wednesday, December 9, 2026 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Faculty/Staff Copilot Chat Premium license required. | Virtual | Faculty/Staff Registration (MasonLeaps) |
LinkedIn Learning Paths for AI Literacy
To help our community build confidence with artificial intelligence, we have curated LinkedIn Learning pathways that introduce AI concepts, highlight ethical considerations, and explore practical applications. These self-paced modules are designed for faculty, staff, and students who want to strengthen their AI literacy and use these tools responsibly and effectively.
- Basics: A Gentle Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Explore this Course
- Ethics in Artificial Intelligence: Explore this Course
- Selected Applications of AI: Explore this Course
- Dig Deeper: From Discriminative to Generative AI: Explore this Course
- Use AI like a pro: Explore this Course
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PatriotAI?
PatriotAI is the university’s initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into enterprise tools to enhance productivity, collaboration, and innovation, while maintaining a commitment to ethical and responsible use.
Who can use PatriotAI tools?
Faculty, staff, and students may access specific AI features depending on their role, tool availability, and license type. Some tools require training or supervisor approval before use.
Why is the university adopting AI?
AI is being implemented to streamline tasks, support effective decision-making, and enrich teaching, learning, and research environments. AI use at the university is guided by principles of transparency, privacy, and user empowerment. For more details on AI Guidelines at George Mason, see https://www.gmu.edu/ai-guidelines/ai-guidelines.
What AI-enabled tools are currently available?
The following tools are available enterprise-wide at George Mason:
- Adobe AI
- Microsoft Copilot Chat
- LinkedIn Learning AI Career Coach
- PatriotAI
- Zoom AI Companion
Will more tools be added over time?
Yes. As vendors release new AI features and the university completes its evaluations, the list of available tools will expand.
How are tools reviewed and approved?
All tools are reviewed for FERPA compliance, security, accessibility (WCAG 2.1), and ethical use via the Architectural Standards Review Board (ASRB). The review process is coordinated by ITS in partnership with academic and administrative units.
What if the AI tool I wish to use is not something that is purchased, such as the free version of ChatGPT or Gemini?
George Mason has approved the use of Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection, which is built on OpenAI technology but offers data protection for George Mason users. Even free software requires advanced review and consideration. First, individual users do not have signature authority to bind the institution to the terms and conditions that must be accepted before use or download. Secondly, George Mason users must not disclose Highly Sensitive or Restricted information to a third party without an agreement protecting this information. For the use of AI tools or systems for official purposes, even if they are free of charge, please submit a request through the ASRB.
When using AI tools, adhere to applicable federal, Commonwealth of Virginia requirements, laws, and regulations, as well as university policies.
Don’t see a tool you would like to use or would like to request the re-evaluation of a tool for your use case? Contact the Architectural Standards Review Board (ASRB) to ask for a review.
How do I access AI features in tools like Microsoft Copilot or Zoom?
Eligible users will see AI options appear within the supported applications. Instructions and videos for getting started are available on Getting Started with Microsoft Copilot and Getting Started with Zoom AI Companion.
Is training available?
The university is currently developing a comprehensive AI literacy and training program tailored specifically for faculty, staff, and students. These resources will provide practical guidance on AI concepts, applications in teaching and learning, and responsible, ethical use of AI technologies.
In the meantime, we encourage you to begin exploring AI through the AI Fundamentals Learning Path available in LinkedIn Learning: AI Fundamentals Learning Path
Are there rules or guidelines for using AI tools?
Yes. Role-based guidelines and best practices have been developed to ensure AI use aligns with academic integrity, data privacy, and ethical expectations. For more details on AI Guidelines at George Mason, see https://www.gmu.edu/ai-guidelines/ai-guidelines.
Is my data secure when using AI tools?
Yes. All tools have been evaluated to meet university standards for privacy and security. AI features only process data as allowed by vendor agreements and user permissions.
Does the university collect data from my AI interactions?
No, unless explicitly stated. AI activity is typically processed in-session and not stored. However, some vendor tools may retain limited data to improve functionality. Always review each tool’s privacy policy on the AI Tool Directory.
Can students use AI tools in class?
That decision is made by the instructor. Students should follow course-specific guidance and refer to the Student AI Use Guidelines for expectations and resources.
Who do I contact for help with AI tools?
Contact ITS Support using Live Chat or call 703-993-8870.