Copilot Chat agents
Microsoft Copilot Chat agents are AI assistants built for a specific, clearly defined task or topic. They can answer questions, retrieve information from selected sources, and support work tasks in a more targeted way than standard Copilot Chat.
Copilot Chat agents are useful, for example, for answering frequently asked questions, providing instructions, retrieving information from restricted sources, and supporting frequently repeated tasks or routines. You can also share Copilot Chat agents with others, which allows you to build, for example, learning assignments and teaching assistants, or a shared team assistant for a specific work task.
How do different AI agents and assistants differ?
See the comparison and the recommended implementation options for agents and assistants.
Get started with Copilot Chat agents with TUNI ID
- Log in with your TUNI ID and make sure that the shield icon is visible at the top.
- Copilot Chat is available for all staff users and students (18+ age).
- Works in all commonly used web browsers and mobile devices.
- In the left-hand menu, you will find the Agents section, where you can see the agents you use and create new agents.
- Copilot Chat agents with basic features are available to staff and adult students with a TUNI user account.
- Before you start using Copilot Chat, please read about privacy and security from below.
Privacy and security
Copilot Chat agents only have access to the data that you add yourself to the agent’s knowledge.
YES - Allowed with Copilot Chat agents:
- Public, internal, and confidential information (data classes 5, 4, and 3).
NO - Not allowed with Copilot Chat agents:
- Confidential with restrictions or secret information (data classes 2 and 1).
See additional information: Data classification.
When using Copilot Chat agents with TUNI ID, the data processed is not used to train the AI. All data and data processing remain within the EU as Copilot Chat with TUNI ID is covered by Microsoft Enterprise Data Protection and EU Data Boundary protections.
See additional information: Copilot Chat privacy statement.
Instructions
- Use an agent shared with you: Open the sharing link and activate the agent. The agents you have used most recently remain visible on the left-hand side of the interface.
- Create a new agent: Select "New agent".
- Edit or delete an agent: Select the three dots next to the agent’s name and choose "Edit".
The most essential core features available to all users:
- You can give the agent operating instructions and up to four public websites as its knowledge base.
- You can give the agent the ability to create files, infographics, code, or images.
- You can share the agent with individual users or via a link with any Tampere Universities user who has the link, and the agent installs easily for use in Copilot Chat.
- The basic features do not allow you to add your own files or SharePoint site content to the agent’s knowledge base.
NOTE: Adding files to an agent’s knowledge base requires a paid M365 Copilot licence for the agent creator and for all users of such an agent.
Ready-made examples from the Copilot Chat agent library
- Open Copilot Chat agent library. Try out the ready-made agents and explore their operating instructions (prompts). You can create your own version of the agents.
More detailed instructions for creating a new agent are available in the Digital Toolkit:
Free Microsoft trainings
Build and manage an agent. Note that this training uses a paid M365 Copilot version, which includes more features than the basic version.
Tips
Requirements for a website added as agent's knowledge
Website or subsection URL added as knowledge can be no more than two levels deep, for example: https://tuni.fi/1-level/2-level/
Website added as knowledge must be discoverable by the Microsoft Bing search engine so that the agent can use it. In unclear cases, run a site-specific search with Bing and test whether you get search results, for example: "site:https://sites.tuni.fi/digitaltoolkit/ Moodle"
Additional features of the paid M365 Copilot
Your own files as knowledge
You can add your own files, emails and SharePoint content as knowledge.
NOTE: If you share the agent with others, using these features also requires a paid M365 Copilot licence for all users of such an agent.
Ready-made agents for advanced use cases
Microsoft-built agents for advanced use cases are available in the Agent Store, for example:
- Researcher: A research assistant that uses a dedicated reasoning language model.
- Analyst: An assistant for data analysis and visualisation.
- Surveys: Analysing results from Forms surveys.
- Learning: A coach and sparring partner for your own learning and development.
More tips
Tips for AI agents from Tampere universities Digital toolkit
Additional information
For technical problems, you can contact the IT Helpdesk, but there is no wider support for implementing Copilot Chat agents. Follow the webinar & training options and guidance on this topic on the intranet.
IT Helpdesk
0294 520 500
it-helpdesk [at] tuni.fi (it-helpdesk[at]tuni[dot]fi)
helpdesk.tuni.fi