Copilot chat logo

Microsoft Copilot Chat can help you find information and provide the relevant sources. It can help you be creative or give you a starting point to write a complex report.  

Copilot Chat is your very own artificial intelligence (AI) companion that will help you get through the day with ease. Even better, is that it is the recommended AI tool to be used at UCT.

What is Copilot Chat?

Using the latest AI technology, GPT 5 which is equivalent to Chat GPT PRO, this chat tool can assist you with any prompt you enter. It offers similar functionality to the AI tools that you currently need to pay for, at no additional cost as it forms part of your Microsoft licence. 

The key difference between Copilot Chat and other AI technologies (i.e., DeepSeek, Gemini, ChatGPT), is that your data is protected and secure, thanks to Microsoft’s Enterprise Data Protection. The information you input will only be visible to you, and no one else internal or external to UCT, provided you’re signed in with your UCT account. Using UCT’s additional authentication measures, single sign-on and multi-factor authentication, additional levels of security are added to further secure your Copilot Chat experience.

ICTS has been conducting rigorous investigations over the past few months to ensure that the tool is secure enough to use at the university. This is mainly due to many UCT staff having privileged access to personal and confidential information. Securing this information is critical to us, and that is why we recommend Copilot Chat above all other AI technologies.

When you log onto Copilot Chat with your UCT credentials, a green shield 

Copilot shield

 appears in the right-hand top corner of the window letting you know that you’re in a secure environment.  

How can Copilot Chat benefit me?

This tool doesn’t only help you start new projects and tasks but can also transform Word documents, Excel files, and PDFs into presentations, easy to understand graphics, and even videos. It can help you summarise long documents and prepare you for meetings, as it integrates with most Microsoft 365 applications.

The more thorough the prompt, the more detailed the outcome. After your initial prompt, Copilot will make suggestions on how to further enhance your request so that you can continuously tweak and adapt until you’re happy with the outcome. See the prompt section below for guidance.

While Copilot Chat is an essential tool to help you get through easy and complex tasks, the onus is on you to ensure that you verify the information it provides. It is also advisable to abide by UCT’s AI guidelines as well as your faculty or departments recommendations on using AI technologies.

Who has access to Copilot Chat?

This tool is accessible to all UCT staff and students at no cost. It forms part of your Microsoft licence, which means you can start using it immediately.

ICTS is continuing with its investigation of the Copilot add-on licence, which will come at a cost. More information about this offering will be communicated in due course.

Exclusive offer for students who have personal Microsoft accounts

Students who have a personal Microsoft account can benefit from the free CoPilot for Students offering, that is available for one year. Thereafter, a cost will be incurred.

Access Copilot

  1. Go to M365Copilot.com and log on with your UCT staff/student number@wf.uct.ac.za.
  2. Enter your UCT password and complete the MFA verification process, if prompted. 
    NOTE: signing in with your UCT account ensures that all data you enter into Copilot Chat cannot be accessed by anyone else. Your information is protected and secure from being accessed by anyone internal or external to UCT.
  3. You can either start a new prompt, or use the recommendations listed on Copilot Chat . You have a choice of either typing or using the dictation button to enter a prompt. Alternatively, upload a file that you would like Copilot to assist you with, via the Add content or More (+) buttons.
    NOTE: where Copilot sources information for you, it will provide references at the end to help with your verification process. It is important that you always verify information to ensure what you’re using is factually correct.
  4. You can then either accept the information as is, or probe further use Copilot suggestions, or entering your own information.

Alternative ways to access Copilot Chat

Copilot Chat is already accessible in some Microsoft 365 applications (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), with additional apps being added over time. It is also available via the Microsoft Edge web browser. The Copilot icon will either appear in the top-right corner of the screen, or on the application ribbon.  

Copilot can also be accessed and used directly on the document you’re working in, instead of having to upload the document in the Copilot space. It’s always with you, when using Microsoft 365.

Alternatively, use the Copilot Chat desktop application for your specific operating system or mobile device, by following these instructions.

Getting your prompt right

The more you use Copilot, the more familiar you will become with entering prompts that can quickly get you the information or assistance you need. Copilot also has a prompt gallery to help you get started.

It can assist you with

  • Getting tips
  • Summarising a file
    • Retrieving specific information  
    • Current and previous interactions
    • Visualising data
  • Conducting research
  • Drafting email responses, reports, letters, or even starting a conversation
  • Calculations
  • Translations
  • Understanding trends
  • Preparing for meetings
  • Upskilling
  • Comparisons
  • Enhance your coding
  • Brainstorming new ideas
  • Plan and rollout a project

With Copilot, the opportunities and benefits are endless.

These guidelines will help you get started with prompting.

 

What’s new in Copilot Chat

Microsoft is rolling out significant updates to Copilot Chat between now and the end of 2025. This will enhance AI integration across Microsoft 365 (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote). Key improvements that you can look forward to include expanded chat capabilities, a new AI model, and better personalisation features to boost productivity and creative flexibility.

Copilot Chat enhancements  
  • Copilot Chat is now available side-by-side in major Microsoft 365 apps, accessible via the app ribbon for seamless AI assistance.
  • In Outlook, a new Summarise button allows you to generate email thread summaries with a single click. This feature, which supports both Classic and New Outlook for Windows, is available even to those without a full Copilot licence if pinned to the navigation bar.
  • You will soon be able to upload multiple reference images in Copilot Chat to create new images, enhancing creative options and streamlining visual content generation.
Advanced AI model and personalisation
  • The GPT-5 model will become the default for Microsoft 365 Copilot in a phased rollout until the end of 2025, offering faster and more accurate responses.
  • Updates to Memory enable more personalised AI responses based on chat history, with refreshed user controls for managing saved data.
User experience and session improvements

Copilot Chat conversations will soon be saved in the navigation pane, allowing you to return to ongoing chats without losing progress. 

 

Get started

These online resources will help you get the most out of using Microsoft Copilot Chat.

Copilot Agents

FAQs

What underlying LLM does Microsoft Copilot Chat use?

Microsoft Copilot Chat is currently powered by OpenAI's GPT-4, with GPT-5 also available in certain contexts.

Is there an additional cost for using Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Copilot Chat is available to all UCT staff and students at no additional cost, due to the UCT Microsoft licensing we have in place.

Microsoft 365 Copilot, which ICTS is currently investigating, comes at an additional cost. More information about this offering will be communicated once the testing phase is completed.

How do you log onto Copilot Chat with your UCT credentials?

Navigate to https://copilot.microsoft.com and log on with your UCT staff/studentnumber@wf.uct.ac.za and password.

What are the key advantages of using Microsoft Copilot Chat over ChatGPT?

Some key advantages include  

  • enhanced security and compliance
  • the ability to leverage existing Microsoft 365 A5 licences without extra costs
  • seamless integration with Microsoft 365 applications, reducing the need for copy-pasting
When will Microsoft 365 Copilot be available to UCT staff?

While Copilot Chat is already available to the UCT community, Microsoft 365 Copilot is still undergoing further testing. The availability of Microsoft 365 Copilot for UCT staff, which will come at a cost, will be communicated once it is ready for rollout.