Be judicious when sharing university data with publicly available AI tools
From: Division of Information Technology
As generative AI tools gain a greater presence in higher education, it is important to consider the potential security risks of using these tools, as well as their potential benefits, and to follow best practices to protect university data, your privacy, and the privacy of others.
We ask that all members of our community not share any personal, sensitive or high-risk data in publicly available AI platforms (e.g. ChatGPT.com, DeepSeek.com). When such data is shared with open and publicly available AI tools, it can expose individuals and organizations to security, privacy, copyright, and intellectual property risks.
Virginia Tech’s policies and security guidelines emphasize that sharing high-risk data outside secure, university-approved platforms is prohibited unless there is a legitimate, approved purpose with adequate safeguards in place. To mitigate these risks, please ensure that any sensitive data is only shared within the appropriate, secure platforms or under guidelines set by Virginia Tech.
University-licensed generative AI tools
Virginia Tech currently offers a variety of AI capabilities to the VT community.
- Microsoft Copilot with Enterprise Data Protection has been made available to the university community. Copilot uses large language models (LLMs) to help with tasks such as analyzing data, drafting visual media, creating to-do lists, or understanding topics. Enterprise Data Protection ensures that you have the same level of protection when using Copilot as you do when using other Microsoft applications, provided you are logged into your Virginia Tech account. More guidance about using Copilot is available in the 4Help IT Support Knowledge Base.
- Virginia Tech has approved the use of Zoom AI Companion, an AI bot tool with the Zoom client that can assist with transcripts, “smart” recordings, and other meeting tasks.
- Members of the Virginia Tech community who need to incorporate AI tools in their research work at Virginia Tech are encouraged to reach out to Advanced Research Computing (ARC) to discuss options for creating a secure environment for their artificial intelligence work. ARC can be reached via:
Resources and guidance
For information about what constitutes low vs high-risk data, please see the Virginia Tech Risk Classification Standard.
Several resources are available to help the VT community navigate their use of generative AI at the university effectively and responsibly:
- AI Tips & Tools from your librarians (from University Libraries)
- Considering Generative AI at Virginia Tech (from TLOS)
- Guidance: Using Artificial Intelligence During Research Activities (From the Office of Research and Innovation)
- Recorded Microsoft Copilot training session
The VT community is encouraged to review the university’s data policies and standards regarding data protection. These include: