FAQs | AI Competency Centre
FAQs and Support
Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page. Here, you'll find answers to the most common questions about AI at Oxford and guides to ensure you are making the most of our service. This page will provide you with quick and easy access to the information you need. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please don't hesitate to contact our team for further support.
About the AI Competency Centre
The AI Competency Centre serves the entire University of Oxford community as a hub of expertise for generative AI tools and their applications. Based at the Oxford e-Research Centre, our team brings together specialists with diverse backgrounds in education, research, linguistics, technology, and communications.
The AI Competency Centre acts as a signposting body and does not set policy. For policy matters, please visit Generative AI at Oxford | University of Oxford.
We believe that AI is already embedded in academic and professional work across the University. Your staff, students, and colleagues are already using these tools - our mission is to help ensure they're doing so in an informed, responsible way that benefits their work while addressing legitimate concerns around data security, academic integrity, and more.
- Training: We offer a growing range of training sessions and resources to help staff and students use AI tools confidently, safely, and appropriately.
- Generative AI Licences: We provide overviews of recommended tools and offer secure access to AI tools platforms, such as ChatGPT Edu and Microsoft 365 Copilot, at discounted rates with enhanced data protections.
- Project Support: Our team of research software engineers, business technologists, and trainers offer free consultancy for using AI tools effectively in research and operations.
- Resources: We have developed guides and materials to help navigate the AI landscape, including onboarding support and use-case overviews.
- Online Communities: We manage several public Teams groups that members of the University can join:
- Generative AI SIG (Special Interest Group): A space for updates, discussion, questions, and philosophical debate around generative AI.
- AI BUG (AI Builders User Group): A community for those building AI applications, sharing insights and lessons learned.
The AI Competency Centre acts as a signposting body and does not set policy. For policy matters, please visit Generative AI at Oxford | University of Oxford.
You can reach us or access services using the links below:
- Buy Generative AI Licences including ChatGPT Edu and Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Request API Access: Please complete the OpenAI API Request Form
- Training: Attend a Training Workshop, Request Custom Training, Suggest a Training Topic
- Resources for Researchers: Researcher Resources
- Expression of Interest for Project/Collaboration
The AI Ambassadors are active AI users from across the collegiate University who are happy to be points of contact for colleagues in their local context. Ambassadors can signpost you to best practice guidance, offer advice on how to integrate AI into your work, or even help to mentor you in applying AI tools. Find an AI Ambassador in your local department below here: AI Ambassadors | AI Competency Centre
To help staff and students keep up to date with news about AI we manage two community teams channels.
Generative AI SIG – Generative AI Special Interest Group
This is a public Teams group to learn about latest updates in AI, share experiences, ask questions and discuss philosophical issues about GenAI.
AI BUG – AI Builders User Group
This is a public Teams user group where people from across the University meet to share lessons learned about building applications using large language models.
Data Protection and AI Platforms
The AI Competency Centre does not restrict tool usage, instead we offer guidance to help staff choose the right tools for specific tasks and raise awareness of the security and data protection of various tools. We have worked with Microsoft and OpenAI to provide data-protected access to Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT Edu via SSO login, which can provide a good starting point if you are new to using AI.
- Copilot Chat - Free to all staff and students, accessible via SSO.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot - Paid access is available to all staff
- ChatGPT Edu - Temporary free access is available for all staff
These are approved for high-risk data when accessed via SSO.
- Google Gemini - Free to all staff and students, accessible via SSO.
Google Gemini is only approved for moderate risk data when accessed via SSO.
When accessed through SSO, Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot and ChatGPT Edu are approved for processing high-risk data. When accessed through SSO, Google Gemini is approved for processing Moderate risk data. You can read more about how to Use Generative AI services safely on the Information Security website.
- Copilot: Check that you are logged in with your SSO email (e.g. abcd1234@ox.ac.uk). Look for the green badge stating "Enterprise data protection applies to this chat".
- ChatGPT Edu: Check that you have logged in with your SSO email (e.g. abcd1234@ox.ac.uk) and check you can see the Oxford University logo in the bottom-left corner of your ChatGPT Edu screen.
- Google Gemini: Check you are logged in with your SSO email (e.g. abcd1234@ox.ac.uk)
ChatGPT Edu Access and Use
For more information pertaining to the ChatGPT Edu rollout, please refer to either the ChatGPT Edu Staff FAQs or ChatGPT Edu Student FAQs.
As part of its ongoing digital transformation, the University is partnering with OpenAI to provide free access to ChatGPT Edu for all students and staff (including College staff), from the start of the new academic year (2025/26).
See how to access this on our ChatGPT Edu Onboarding Guides
No, your account will be private and accessible only to you, in a similar way to how you access your emails. Your ChatGPT data cannot be seen by the University ~~or OpenAI~~, and it won’t be used to train AI models. As with any other work communication (e.g. emails, Teams messages), results and searches provided by generative AI tools are subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) and data protection legislation.
In certain, limited circumstances (for example, if the system detects that someone has expressed a plan to harm others during their use of ChatGPT), there are a restricted number of people at OpenAI who can potentially review specific content to escalate concerns if they deem there is a risk of physical harm. As AI usage becomes more widespread, we will continue to review our strategy and guidance on privacy and access.
No. ChatGPT Edu accounts must be linked to an individual via SSO. However, conversations can be shared manually.
If you have paid for a ChatGPT licence (e.g. Plus or Pro) other than ChatGPT Edu or ChatGPT Team/Business, for an account linked to your University email or SSO, you will receive a refund from OpenAI for any remaining time on that licence. This will happen automatically unless you have a mobile subscription. Mobile subscriptions must be cancelled in your app store and you will receive instructions for how to do that. Licences for ChatGPT Business (formerly Team) accounts will not be refunded, as in this case, you will be able to access the University’s Edu workspace and continue your work there. If you experience any issues or would like to discuss specific details of your licence, please contact the IT Service Desk; if you need to discuss refunding, please use this feedback form.
Reasons to switch to ChatGPT Edu:
- Saving money. ChatGPT Edu accounts are being made available free at point of use, across the University and Colleges, as part of an inclusive offer.
- Better security. You can access ChatGPT Edu via your SSO, which gives you more security and convenience than either the Plus or Teams licence.
- Share your GPTs and chats privately with others in the Oxford workspace or with the whole Oxford workspace all at once.
- Enhanced data protection: Unlike the free and Plus versions (where you have to manually opt out of allowing your data to be used to train OpenAI’s data models), data you input into ChatGPT Edu is not shared to train OpenAI's models by default. This means you maintain full ownership of all your inputs and outputs, which is important when working with research data or sensitive university information.
- Security assessment. Only ChatGPT Edu is covered by InfoSec’s third-party security assessment (TPSA). This is the same security assessment that covers all use of Microsoft 365 across the University. If you feel secure uploading files to Sharepoint, you should feel at ease uploading your files to ChatGPT Edu.
Things to bear in mind:
- There is no export option of your data if you are using in ChatGPT Edu (this is also the case for the Teams licence, but Plus or Free accounts however do allow data export).
- Occasionally, some new features and models are released on a delay to ChatGPT Edu to allow for review or compliance. This is usually about a week or so later but occasionally longer.
Migrating your existing data:
You can only automatically merge your chat history from a Free or Plus account if you used your SSO (abcd1234@ox.ac.uk) as your user name/email for that ChatGPT account. You will be given an option to migrate on sign up.
If, on the other hand, you used any other email (for example first.last@dept.ox.ac.uk) to sign up, you will get a new account under your SSO with ChatGPT Edu and your existing account will remain available in parallel with the new one. If you stop paying for the Plus account, your history will remain available to you. You can also export your data for your records and delete the old account (note, this data cannot be imported in ChatGPT Edu).
Existing ChatGPT Teams accounts cannot merge into the Edu workspace and do not allow data export or access after you stop the subscription. Those accounts would have to close and you would lose your history.
You can review what features are available within the University workspace on our GenAI Tool Features webpage.
Sharing Custom GPTs
Our ChatGPT Edu workspace has been rated secure for processing confidential and personal data by Information Security, but you should ensure that you do not accidentally share restricted information with people outside the University. You can read more about how to Use Generative AI services safely, including sharing custom GPTs, on the Information Security website.
Any data used to create a custom GPT may be accessed by the user of the GPT through a prompt. Therefore, any GPTs shared outside the University should not include personal or confidential information. Please, read the guidance below carefully.
Most custom GPTs are used privately by their creators but they can be shared in three ways. You can share custom GPTs in three ways:
- Invite specific users to use the GPT directly (within the Oxford ChatGPT Edu workspace)
- Create a link only users with the link can use
- Publish to the GPT Store
All of the three options can be limited to Oxford University Edu account only or they can include external users.
- Any data included in a custom GPT can potentially be disclosed to a user in response to a prompt. DO NOT include any confidential or personal data when creating a custom GPT.
- DO NOT assume that anything inside any file shared or the GPT’s custom instructions can be kept private from users.
- Custom GPTs intended for external sharing should not include any personal data, where doing so would breach data protection regulations. External sharing can effectively amount to publication of any personal data that is included in a custom GPT, which increases the potential for data protection risks.
- GPTs may not always respond accurately based on the information provided or follow precise directions. GPTs should not be used where authoritative sources of data are required, for example when providing final policy information. When sharing them with other staff members or members of the public, DO include disclaimers and links to other resources.
- To ensure data protection requirements are met, the University’s Data Protection by Design Framework should be followed wherever personal data is processed by a custom GPT. This is especially important where the GPT may be shared publicly, as this raises the risk profile and compliance obligations.
To share a GPT, click on the Share button in the GPT editing interface and then choose the appropriate option under Access.
Troubleshooting ChatGPT Edu Login Issues
- Go to https://chatgpt.com/
- Click the Log in button to begin the process.
- Enter your Single Sign On (SSO) email address in the format abcd1234@ox.ac.uk and press Continue. (Please note that using a department alias such as @it.ox.ac.uk will not work).
- Choose Oxford University as your option
- You will be directed to the standard University SSO log-in process.
- Since you created your ChatGPT account using SSO, you will have an option to migrate your chat history directly over to your new ChatGPT Edu account.
- Ensure you're using your SSO email (abcd1234@ox.ac.uk) and not your department email
- Try logging in via an incognito tab (Ctrl + Shift + N).
- Check OpenAI’s status page for outages.
- If issues persist, contact OpenAI Help Center
Ensure you are logging in with your SSO email address. If the problem continues please refer to the below:
- Consider first seeking support from the company whose product you're using:
ChatGPT Edu: For access and activation queries, please use the OpenAI help portal. You can use the chat at the bottom of the page to ask questions and connect with support by clicking on the Message tab. If you are unable to resolve your issue through the help portal, then you should contact OpenAI support directly by email at support@OpenAI.com.
If your query is about whether an outage is affecting your connection to a particular tool, try the relevant status pages:
- OpenAI Status page for ChatGPT Edu - For simple queries regarding University-supported GenAI tools and support, use the AI Competency Centre chatbot to be directed to relevant information.
- Contact the University's IT Service Desk if you need more support - they can help you with ChatGPT Edu, Microsoft Copilot, or the GenAI tools in the University's Google workspace (Gemini and Notebook LM). If your query needs escalating, the IT Service Desk will involve our GenAI specialists at the AI Competency Centre or signpost you to tailored support from elsewhere in the University, as needed.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a generative AI-powered tool that can access and process data in your Microsoft applications.
Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It leverages large language models and user-specific data from your Microsoft Graph (like emails, documents, and calendar events) to provide intelligent suggestions, automate tasks, and enhance productivity. It can:
- Generate and summarise content in Word
- Analyse data and build formulas in Excel
- Create slides and text in PowerPoint
- Draft and summarise emails in Outlook
- Summarise conversations and manage tasks in Teams
If you wish to use Copilot to record or transcribe meetings, please request access to record a meeting in teams first.
Conversations and other data processed via Copilot are not used to train AI models, maintaining user confidentiality.
Microsoft Copilot (Chat) is a free limited AI tool offered by Microsoft. When accessed via Oxford SSO, enterprise data protection applies.
Microsoft Copilot (Chat) does not integrate with Microsoft Office. Microsoft 365 Copilot is distinct from Copilot Chat. Only Microsoft 365 Copilot, the paid version, integrates AI features directly into Office applications and supports more advanced functionality.
Examples of what you can do with Microsoft Copilot Chat include:
- Summarising emails
- Creating presentations from documents
- Transcribing and summarising meetings
Copilot Chat: Free, data protected, no Microsoft Office integration, basic chat functionality
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Paid, data protected, full Office integration (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)
Microsoft 365 Copilot appears in different places based on the device you use and the restrictions on your device. The best way to double check is to open Microsoft Forms in your browser → Create a new form → If "Draft with Copilot" appears, you have access.
Since you work for the University of Oxford, you will already have an M365 account associated with your role. Signing up for Microsoft 365 Copilot is as easy as requesting and paying for this additional feature to be added to your existing M365 account.
Purchase request forms for Microsoft 365 Copilot licences are now open, enabling new purchases for the September 2025 – August 2026 licensing period. Licence cost £23.50 (+VAT for Colleges) and you will be charged a one-off payment for your pro rata usage of Microsoft 365 Copilot. For example, if you purchase in October 2025, you will be charged for 11 months of £23.50.
Department Microsoft 365 Copilot Licence Request Form
College Microsoft 365 Copilot Licence Request Form
Licences cannot be refunded however, they can be reassigned within your department at any point following purchase should a member of staff leave the university or change departments, by contacting the AI and Machine Learning Competency Centre.
Licence holders will be given support to start using Copilot, including access to training sessions, online resources, and support from Microsoft and the AI Competency Centre.
- Free personal account: ❌ Not protected
- Microsoft Copilot Chat (Free Oxford SSO account): ✅ Data protected
- Microsoft 365 Copilot (Paid Oxford SSO account): ✅ Data protected
All SSO accounts, whether using free or paid access, benefit from enterprise data protection.
No. Licences must be purchased by departments on behalf of students using a GL Cost Centre code. Please speak to your department's budget approver should you wish to use Microsoft 365 Copilot.
No. Charges must be made using a GL Cost Centre code. Project codes are not currently supported.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini is Google’s generative AI-powered tool. It can help you with:
- Educational content creation - Lesson plans, curriculum development
- Grant proposal drafting - Academic and research funding applications
- Document and email summarisation - Processes Google Workspace content
- Research acceleration - Integrates with NotebookLM for knowledge sharing
- Administrative tasks - Streamlines routine educational workflows
- Models - 2.5 Flash and limited 2.5 Pro
- Deep research with 2.5 Flash
- Image generation with Imagen
- NotebookLM - upload 50 sources,
- 15GB of storage in Drive
- Stricter usage limitations
All Oxford University Staff and Students have a free Google Gemini Licence automatically linked to their SSO. To access your account, visit Google Gemini > Sign in > Enter your SSO (abcd1234@ox.ac.uk) as your email address > Enter your SSO details into the University SSO portal.
- Free personal Google account: ❌ Not protected
- Google Gemini (Oxford SSO account): ✅ Data protected for Moderate Risk Data only
You can view our data protection guides here: Generative AI Tools | AI Competency Centre
To access your account:
- Visit Google Gemini
- Click ‘Sign in’
- Enter your SSO (abcd1234@ox.ac.uk) as your email address
- Enter your SSO details into the University SSO portal
OpenAI API
No. Access to the OpenAI API is provided through a separate platform to ChatGPT Edu and is not included with a ChatGPT Edu licence.
If you would like to request access, please complete the OpenAI API Request Form, stating the project you plan to use the API for.
We will contact you with next steps or follow-up questions. Due to current demand, please allow up to five working days for us to review and respond.
Please note:
- A usage limit of $50 per project per month is set initially.
- If your project requires greater usage, please include this in the form so we can discuss your needs.
- If you already have access and need a higher limit, contact us.
Once access is granted, you can explore the OpenAI Cookbook, which includes example code and guides for common tasks using the API.
To access OpenAI API please complete the OpenAI API Request Form, stating your intended project. We aim to respond within five working days. If your project requires a higher usage limit than the default $50/month, include this in your request.
The Centre does not currently provide access to other APIs directly. However, we may be able to support this through collaborative projects. If you have a relevant project in mind, please complete our Expression of Interest form.
AI Coding Assistants
AI coding assistants use large language models (LLMs) to support software development. They can:
- Autocomplete lines or functions of code
- Suggest bug fixes
- Generate documentation and comments
- Create unit tests
- Help with problem-solving and learning new languages or frameworks
Popular tools include:
- GitHub Copilot (integrates with IDEs like Visual Studio Code)
- Cursor, Zed, Windsurf
- ChatGPT and Claude
- Local tools such as Continue, aider, and Ollama
They can:
- Improve productivity by handling repetitive tasks
- Offer coding suggestions
- Help brainstorm and solve problems
- Support learning new tools or frameworks
They can't:
- Guarantee error-free code
- Replace expert oversight
- Safely automate critical systems without human validation
Always review outputs carefully, especially in sensitive or production environments.
As a member of a university, you may be eligible for free access to GitHub Copilot Individual under the GitHub Education Programme.
To apply:
- Create a GitHub account using your university email (@dept.ox.ac.uk) (or add it to your existing GitHub account).
- Apply to GitHub Education as a teacher or student, describing how you’ll use Copilot for education.
- Once approved, follow the instructions for getting free access to Copilot.
Important Privacy Considerations:
Using GitHub Copilot involves sharing snippets of your code with the GitHub directly, whether or not your already host your code on GitHub, which may raise privacy concerns.
Here are key data privacy considerations for GitHub Copilot that you should take into account before deciding to use GitHub Copilot with your codebase:
- Data used for training GitHub models: The GitHub Copilot Individual Plan that is available for free through GitHub Education is covered by the GitHub Data Protection Agreement. It is important to note that GitHub do not explicitly state that user data (code, prompts, snippets) is excluded from training GitHub models. Only the GitHub Copilot Business and Enterprise plans explicitly state that user data is not used to train GitHub models. Please see the GitHub Copilot Trust Center details.
- Data retained by GitHub for further processing and sharing: Individual users can disable code snippet retention in their GitHub settings under Allow GitHub to use my code snippets for product improvements. The Managing Copilot policies as an individual subscriber page provides additional details that confirms this setting controls retention of both prompts and code suggestions. Please note that GitHub have not made any official statement to confirm if disabling this setting is equivalent to the GitHub Copilot Business and Enterprise statement that user data is not used for training GitHub models.
If you have questions or require help accessing coding assistants, please contact the Centre or complete our Expression of Interest form.
Other Tools
The Centre provides data-protected access to ChatGPT Edu and Microsoft 365 Copilot for high-risk data, and Google Gemini for moderate risk data. However, these are not the only AI tools available and they may not be the best AI tool for your need. We are also running pilot programmes with other tools, and reviewing a wide range of AI tools to help advise staff on the best for their use. For updates or queries, please contact the Centre.
ChatGPT Edu and Microsoft 365 Copilot are both available with enterprise-grade data protection when accessed via SSO. Google Gemini is available with moderate risk data protection when accessed via SSO.
Yes. The Centre does not restrict the use of other tools, but it is important to understand each platform's data handling and privacy limitations before use.
The University’s Information Security team has produced guidance on using Generative AI cloud services like ChatGPT, and can also provide advice about the steps to take before using these services. These services can be a game-changer by producing texts, software, images, videos, and music but come with potential confidentiality risks.