In early February, the myUMBC team launched my UMBC Answers, an AI-driven search bar to improve experiences for students, faculty, and staff while ensuring security and privacy. Now, all campus members have been enrolled in this new feature! It helps provide fast, accurate answers to common student questions. The common questions focus on the student experience, but future updates will incorporate resources for faculty and staff. There is an option to opt out if users prefer. 

Interactive Feedback Loop:A sophisticated mechanism allows users to contribute qualitative assessments of answer accuracy. University technology architect Collier Jones emphasizes a critical advisory: "While our AI system provides remarkable support, it is not infallible. Students must exercise due diligence by independently verifying critical information."

Privacy and Security: The system has been meticulously designed with privacy protocols, ensuring the protection of sensitive student information throughout every interaction.

What can it do?

The platform empowers students by providing rapid, secure access to essential personal information, including:

• Academic performance records

• Financial billing statements

• Retriever Card balance details

Additional Resources

• Privacy Information: https://privacy.umbc.edu/myumbc-data/

• System Overview: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/doit/posts/147188

The AI-powered answers system exemplifies UMBC's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance student support and institutional efficiency.

The following images show some examples of questions that MyUMBC’s Answers:

Image: A search bar with the question “What’s the last day of classes?” and underneath the question shows a toggle bar with myUMBC Answers “ON” and a disclaimer “Answers aren’t always accurate, double-check anything important.” The answer to the question is displayed as “May 13, 2025 is the last day of classes for the Spring 2025 semester.” Users can click to indicate if the answer provided was helpful. 

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) at UMBC is committed to providing access to cutting-edge technologies that enhance productivity, teaching, learning, research, and work. We are excited to announce the expanded availability of powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for the UMBC community.

AI Tools Now Available

• Google Gemini: All UMBC accounts now have access to the free version of Google Gemini. Gemini offers a wide range of AI-powered features that can assist with writing, brainstorming, and information-gathering tasks. There are paid licenses for Gemini Advanced that grant further integration within the Google Workspace suite (Gmail, Docs, Slides, etc); please send us a ticket if you’d like to inquire further about Gemini Advanced. Additionally, Google has made three new AI services free for ALL licensed users.

• NotebookLM - notebooklm.google.com. This tool is great for building simple AI RAG documents and answering questions. 

• Deep Research - a tool for doing a deep dive on a topic and generating a customized research plan very quickly. 

• Google Gems are now available for all accounts.

• Microsoft Copilot: Similarly, all UMBC accounts now have default access to the free version of Microsoft Copilot. Copilot provides a model for brainstorming, email generation, and more. There are paid licenses for Copilot Pro that grant integration with the Microsoft 365 suite (Word, Excel, Teams, etc); please send us a ticket if you’d like to inquire further about Copilot Pro.

• UMBC's Instance of Amplify: In addition to these widely used platforms, UMBC provides access to Amplify, an innovative AI tool developed by Vanderbilt University. Amplify provides access to commercial AI models hosted within UMBC's secure cloud environment, including from OpenAI, such as GPT-4o or o1 series, Meta Llama, or Anthropic Claude models. Access to UMBC's instance of Amplify is available to employees (faculty and staff) upon submission of an access request.

Keeping Information Safe

UMBC has access to several GenAI tools that have been verified as safe to use on UMBC Level 1 and FERPA data, which is intended to keep the information internal to UMBC. Details about what information can be shared on AI tools can be found at GenAI Tools at UMBC. We recommend using the UMBC-approved services first. Services that have not been verified should only be used with public information. Public material is something you would publish on a website for the Internet to see.

Support and Resources

DoIT is committed to supporting the UMBC community in effectively using these AI tools. We encourage you to explore the resources available on the DoIT AI website.

• Guides and tutorials on how to use Gemini, Copilot, and Amplify

• Information on best practices for using AI ethically and responsibly

• FAQs and troubleshooting tips

• Contact information for support assistance

Looking Ahead

DoIT will continue to evaluate and expand our AI tools offerings to meet the evolving needs of the UMBC community. We are excited about the potential of AI to transform our campus and look forward to seeing how you utilize these powerful resources.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or support inquiries about AI tools at UMBC, please visit the DoIT AI support page or contact the Technology Support Center (TSC).

The first draft of the above announcement was generated using AI and edited by the Division of Information Technology Communications and IT teams.