About AI agents and assistants

AI agents refer to applications that use AI models to perform tasks automatically. Based on predefined instructions, agents can autonomously initiate and carry out actions on behalf of the user. Agents are often discussed as an umbrella term that also includes various AI assistants.

AI assistants are typically conversational AI applications that differ from agents in that they do not perform actions autonomously. AI assistants always require user guidance and a prompt, such as initiating a conversation. In product names, such as Copilot Chat agents, the term agent may therefore be used even when referring to AI assistants.

Recommended implementation options for agents and assistants

• You need a personal assistant that you can deploy quickly → Copilot Chat agent
• You need a customized agent for shared processes → Copilot Studio agent
• You need an integrated and widely used solution → TUNI AI platform agent

Copilot Chat agents: for all

Purpose

• AI assistants that you can easily and quickly create yourself.
• E.g. translation, guidance, brainstroming, targeted search, sparring, practice, routines and experimentation.
• Not suitable for critical use cases or processes.

Who can create?

• All adult users of Tampere Universities.
• The creator of the agent is the sole owner and editor.

Who can use?

• Can be shared for use via Copilot Chat with users of Tampere Universities.
• For personal use, for individual users, or for all Tampere Universities users who have the link.

Agent knowledge and language model

• Text-based instructions and up to four public websites as the agent’s knowledge base.
• Adding your own files and SharePoint content to the agent’s knowledge base requires a paid M365 Copilot licence for the creator and for all users of the agent.
• Copilot Chat default language model.

Permitted data

• Public, internal and confidential data (classes 5, 4 and 3).
• Data is not used to train AI models, and processing takes place within the EU.

Costs

• Basic features are available to everyone at no additional cost.
• A paid M365 Copilot licence provides additional features.

Instructions and additional information

• Get started.
• Instructions for Tampere Universities will be published soon.

Copilot Studio agents: for advanced users

Purpose

• When the features of a Copilot Chat agent are not sufficient. E.g. when there are multiple owners or the agent’s users do not have a paid M365 Copilot licence, but you need to use your own files as the knowledge base.
• E.g. self-service, customer and support processes.
• Suitable for critical use cases and processes.

Who can create?

• You need Copilot Studio user right (it-helpdesk [at] tuni.fi).
• Intended for advanced users, although programming skills are not typically required.
• Agent can have multiple owners and editors.

Who can use?

• Can be shared for use via Copilot Chat, Teams or SharePoint with users of Tampere Universities. 
• In special cases, other publishing options are also available.
• For a restricted group or for everyone who has the link.

Agent knowledge and language model

• Text-based instructions, own files, up to 25 public websites or an internal SharePoint site as knowledge.
• Can be connected to other systems to retrieve knowledge from them.
• You can choose the language model from a limited selection.

Permitted data

• Public, internal and confidential data (classes 5, 4 and 3).
• Data is not used to train AI models, and processing takes place within the EU.

Costs

• From 0,02 € per question-answer pair, costs depend on usage and features.You need a payer (cost centre).
• If the agent user has a paid M365 Copilot licence, use does not incur costs for basic features.
• Availability is case-specific, allocating usage costs to the agent owner is not yet straightforward.

Instructions and additional information

• Get started, you need a user right first.
• Microsoft instructions.

TUNI AI platform agents: implemented as a project

Purpose

• Permanent agents that are used very widely or very intensively.
• E.g. AI assistant for TUNI intranet and the student advisory assistant currently under development.
• Suitable for highly critical use cases and processes.

Who can create?

• Implemented as a project with an IT partner, based on a solution built from Microsoft Azure services.
• You must appoint an owner and responsible persons for the agent, as with information systems.

Who can use?

• Depends on the implementation.

Agent knowledge and language model

• The knowledge base typically consists of a large amount of internal organisational information.
• Collecting and updating data as knowledge is automated as part of the implementation project.
• You can select the language model from the Microsoft Azure offering and adjust the model's behaviour.

Permitted data

• Public, internal and confidential data (classes 5, 4 and 3).
• Data is not used to train AI models, and processing takes place within the EU.

Costs

• Funding for the technical implementation, implementation by AI platform development partner.
• Usage-based costs, typically with lower usage costs than Copilot Studio agents.
• Maintenance, development and monitoring costs throughout the agent’s lifecycle.

Instructions and additional information

• Further information will be provided later.

Additional implementation options for agents and assistants

Other implementation options for agents and assistants are also available. For example, usage-based paid Microsoft Azure / Foundry agents for advanced specialist needs, and for users with a paid M365 Copilot licence, OneDrive agents for personal use and SharePoint site-specific SharePoint agents.

IT Helpdesk
0294 520 500
it-helpdesk [at] tuni.fi (it-helpdesk[at]tuni[dot]fi) 
helpdesk.tuni.fi