AI tools can help you study more effectively, explore new ideas, and build skills that matter in the workplace. As a BYU-Idaho student, you already have free access to two university-approved AI tools—no request, purchase, or extra license required. This article explains what each tool offers, how to sign in correctly, and how to use AI responsibly in your coursework.
What You Have Access To
Your student account comes with two approved AI tools:
- Google Gemini — included with your BYU-Idaho Google education license.
- Microsoft Copilot — included with BYU-Idaho's Microsoft license.
Both are well-suited for academic work: writing feedback, brainstorming, summarizing readings, studying for exams, and getting help with code. Because BYU-Idaho has data protection agreements in place for both tools, the information you share while signed in with your university account is not used to train public AI models—unlike consumer or personal accounts.
Signing In the Right Way
Personal accounts do not carry the same data protections as your BYU-Idaho account. Always sign in with your university credentials.
| Note: The two tools recognize your identity slightly differently, but both ultimately send you to the Church Login (Okta) screen if you are not already signed in. |
Google Gemini
- Go to https://gemini.google.com.
- Sign in with your BYU-Idaho email address (for example,
rickst@byui.edu).
- Complete the Church Login prompt if you are not already authenticated.
For step-by-step instructions and screenshots, see How to Access Gemini with Your BYU-Idaho Account.
Microsoft Copilot
- Go to https://copilot.microsoft.com.
- Sign in with your BYU-Idaho username followed by
@byui.edu (for example, tomricks1888@byui.edu). This is your UPN, not your email address.
- Complete the Church Login prompt if you are not already authenticated.
For step-by-step instructions and screenshots, see How to Access Microsoft Copilot with Your BYU-Idaho Account.
Important: Microsoft uses your UPN (username + @byui.edu) for single sign-on, while Google uses your email address (usually lastnamef@byui.edu). They often look similar but are not the same—if a sign-in fails, double-check which one the tool expects. |
What About ChatGPT?
BYU-Idaho does provide ChatGPT Edu through the Church Educational System (CES), but those licenses are in limited supply and are currently reserved for full-time faculty and staff. At this time, we are unable to extend ChatGPT Edu access to students—and this includes student employees, even while they are working on campus. Gemini and Copilot are the fully supported, data-protected alternatives, and they are well-suited for both coursework and the work you do in your on-campus job.
You are still free to use other public AI tools (such as Claude, Perplexity, or the free tier of ChatGPT) for general, publicly available information—but those tools do not have BYU-Idaho data protection agreements, so do not enter private, sensitive, or coursework-specific information into them.
Using AI Responsibly
A few habits will help you get the most out of these tools without running into trouble:
- Follow your instructor's AI policy. Some courses allow AI assistance, some restrict it, and some prohibit it entirely. When in doubt, ask your instructor before using AI on an assignment.
- Verify what AI tells you. AI tools can produce confident-sounding answers that are partially or completely wrong. Cross-check facts, citations, and numbers against primary sources before relying on them.
- Protect your data. Do not paste grades, private messages, medical information, or anything you would not want shared into any AI tool—even approved ones.
- Use AI to learn, not to replace learning. The goal is to strengthen your understanding, not to skip it. Treat AI as a tutor or study partner, not a shortcut.