UChicago Generative AI Tools

PhoenixAI

PhoenixAI is the University’s generative AI chat service, which is built with the latest large language models (LLM) from OpenAI and customized for the University community for its security, privacy, accessibility, and equity. For more information about its latest features, view the release notes.

To get started, visit phoenixai.uchicago.edu and log in with your CNetID and password.

Features of the latest version include: 

  • Assistants: Build custom AI assistants tailored to specific needs. Assistants are designed to handle unstructured data and text-based inputs.  

  • Chat Interface: Allows for dynamic interaction with queries and responses. 

  • Data Security: Data submitted to PhoenixAI is kept within the UChicago environment and not shared with third-party vendors or used to train AI models. 

  • Prompt Templates: Customize the chatbot's behavior and characteristics by using a prompt template. See prompt examples.

PhoenixAI Resources

If you are interested in integrating PhoenixAI technology with other systems at the University, please contact ai-feedback@uchicago.edu.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is a generative AI-powered chat tool that is integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine to offer internet-connected AI answers and image generation. It is based on OpenAI’s GPT-4 and DALL-E 2 models.

Copilot is available to the public as a free tool. However, the University’s Microsoft 365 licensing agreement provides data and privacy protections that the public version does not offer. It is strongly recommended that users log in with their UChicago email while using Copilot for University-related searches. To get started, visit copilot.cloud.microsoft and log in with your UChicago account.

For more information about Microsoft Copilot, view the Knowledge Base article, Microsoft Copilot Overview.

GitHub Copilot Business

The University offers access to GitHub Copilot Business, an AI-powered software coding assistant developed by GitHub, OpenAI, and Microsoft. As a response to the interest in AI applications with code generation capabilities, the GitHub Copilot Business agreement provides this service and provides data protection through the University’s Microsoft contract.

Users of the tool will incur a cost for it and must be part of an existing enterprise GitHub organization. To request this feature, unit leaders may contact IT Services. 

Product Comparison

PhoenixAI Google Gemini Microsoft Copilot
AI Privacy Data remains in UChicago environment, not used to train models Data shared with Google for training models unless users opt out in settings Data not used to train Microsoft models
Data Security Public and internal data require no permission. Restricted data not otherwise specified below requires permission.
  • RHI and FERPA data permitted.
  • PHI for clinical or operational use is not allowed.
  • For SRDS Moderate research data, if IRB/DUA exists, then IRB/DUA approval is required.
Within the University's Google Workspace instance, user data (prompts, uploads, interactions) is not used by Google to train or improve Gemini or other AI models—unlike on personal Google accounts, where such data may be stored or shared for model training. Internal Data or Public Data
Saved Chats User can choose Yes Yes
Image Generation Not in current version Yes Yes
Internet Integration Yes (optional for GPT-4.1) Yes (Google) Yes (Bing)
UChicago Single Sign-On Yes Yes Yes
AI Models GPT-4.1, GPT-5, o3 Gemini GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, DALL-E 3

    Generative AI Support