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Data protection when using Gen AI

Guiding principle 3 for using Generative AI (GenAI):
Be mindful of data privacy when inputting your own work or the work of others into GenAI tools.

 

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Data protection when using Gen AI

Be mindful of data privacy when inputting your own work, the work of others, or information about others into GenAI tools. Tools like ChatGPT may store the content you enter and use it to help improve the model. This means anything you paste in — including essay drafts, interview transcripts, or personal data — could be retained or processed beyond your control.

TIP: ChatGPT allows you to disable content sharing by turning off ‘Improve the model for everyone’ in Settings. However, this is not a substitute for full institutional data protection.

Use Copilot where possible, through your University of Salford Microsoft 365 account in Microsoft Edge. Copilot:

  • Is covered by our University’s security policies
  • Does not train itself on your data – so it won’t retain it for its own purposes
  • Has no usage restrictions
  • Is appropriate for more sensitive content (e.g., anonymised research data)

You’ll know you’re using the secure version when you see the green shield with a tick in the top right-hand corner of the Copilot window.  

How to access Copilot 

Here are a few ways to access Copilot. Whatever way you choose just make sure that you are signed in to it with your University email and password so that your data is secure. You’ll know you’re using the secure version when you see the green shield with a tick in the top right corner of the browser window. 

  • Option 1: Open any web browser, e.g. Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, and enter https://copilot.microsoft.com into the address bar
  • Option 2: Open Microsoft Edge and click on the Copilot icon in the top right corner
  • Option 3: If you are using your Microsoft 365 online tool, such as Word, click on the App Launcher button to access the Copilot app

TIP: For grammar and spelling, safer alternatives include the built-in tools in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Editor, as these do not share your content with third parties.