Best Practices
With the swift rise of open-source AI, Humber Polytechnic is embracing this new technology in the form of Copilot (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) to support teaching, innovation and learning for our staff, faculty, and students. While this is very exciting, it is crucial that we use AI mindfully and understand the potential risks. AI is always changing, and these guidelines can evolve, but we can offer guidelines that relate to conducting business related tasks for staff and faculty, aligning with the general statement of Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools at Work.
Safety and Ethics
To begin, always ensure that you are signed into Copilot using your Humber credentials (username@humber.ca). You will know you have successfully signed in with your work account when you see the shield icon next to the 'New chat' button on your screen. Once logged in, here are some examples of what is encouraged and what to avoid.
What is safe:
- Researching a topic of personal interest (e.g., teaching techniques, hobbies, etc.)
- Testing AI image and art creation
- Idea generation or task management for non-confidential data
- Use for collaborative project planning and correspondence (e.g., email drafting)
What to avoid:
- Use of any sensitive/personal data or student record information
- Use of Copilot for decision-making tasks that can affect outcomes or operations involving students or the institution
- Used as a replacement for a final judgement or decision-making process
- Used in any way that violates current Humber policies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Copilot Chat?
Copilot Chat (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) is a secure AI chat tool from Microsoft, accessible to all Humber community members, including staff, faculty, and students.
How is Humber approaching the responsible use of Copilot Chat?
To maintain your safety while asking queries to Copilot Chat, familiarize yourself with our Best Practices above.
How do I access Copilot Chat?
- Visit Microsoft365 using any browser.
- Sign in to your school or work account using the format username@humber.ca.
- After signing in, type "Copilot" in the search bar at the top and select it from the results.
- You can right-click on the Copilot icon located on the left sidebar and select "Pin" to add it to your home page.
You will know you have successfully signed in with your school or work account when you see the shield icon next to the New chat button on your screen. This gives you access to the Copilot with Enterprise data protection.
How do I make sure that I am logged into the secure version of Copilot Chat?
You’re logged into your school or work account on the top right corner of the browser.
When you hover over the shield icon next to New chat button icon, you see “Enterprise Data Protection”.
How is this different from the free version of ChatGPT and other non-approved AI web services?
Using non-approved AI web services can expose Humber’s data to the public.
- Microsoft has no access to your data.
- Your personal and company data are protected in every chat.
- Copilot Chat cites the data sources for its answers.
- Copilot Chat provides up-to-date answers.
How is Copilot Chat different from Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Copilot Chat is a web-based chatbot available for free to anyone with a personal Microsoft account or a Microsoft ID (work or school account). Unlike Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat has no access to organizational data like files, emails, meetings, people, etc.
Copilot Chat can read information from the website I’m on when I use it from the Microsoft Edge sidebar. How can I turn this off?
Navigate to edge://settings/sidebar and select “Copilot” under App and notification settings. From the Copilot settings page, turn off the “Allow Copilot to use page content” toggle.
What can Copilot Chat access when I use it?
Copilot Chat leverages the latest web information to respond to your prompts. It does not have access to data from your device or your organization's information. When using Copilot Chat in the Microsoft Edge sidebar, you can grant it permission to view content on your current page to generate summaries. However, Copilot Chat will not access or use other browser data, such as your browser history.
Are there limits for how much I can use Copilot Chat?
As with other AI tools, there are limits to how many turns (prompts and responses) you can do per chat conversation and per day. If you reach those limits, you will be notified within the chat tool itself.
How do I get the most from Copilot Chat?
- Ask effective questions. Effective prompts are specific, detailed, and full sentences.
- State the tone, purpose, and preferred format. For example: Recap the findings of the article I've copied below and include the top 3 concerns. Provide the answer in two to three paragraphs and use a business tone.
- Ask for tips on how to interact with Copilot. Try things like: What can you do? Can you help me with X? What are your limitations? Copilot will let you know when there’s something it can’t help with.
Humber Polytechnic is already using certain AI tools to conduct business and will continue to expand the possibilities of future AI tools through our trusted vendors to ensure they meet our standards and needs. This approach allows us to grow safely with the ever-evolving technology. By adhering to the above-listed guidelines, we can effectively use this new tool to enhance our work while upholding our ethical values and policies.
Copilot Tip Sheet Poster
You can view and download a helpful Copilot Tip Sheet Poster at the below link:
Additional Resources:
Microsoft. [2025, January 15]. “Overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.” Microsoft Learn.
Microsoft. [2024, October 29]. “Frequently asked questions about Copilot.” Microsoft Learn.
Microsoft. [2024, April 17]. “How to create a great Microsoft Copilot prompt | Microsoft Copilot Tutorial [Video].” YouTube.
Microsoft. [n.d.]. “Copilot Prompt Gallery.” Microsoft Learn.
* Microsoft. [2025, February 19]. “Copilot Chat vs Microsoft 365 Copilot What's the difference?” Microsoft Community Hub.