OHIO conducts pilot program assessing artificial intelligence tool

Led by Ohio University’s Office of Information Technology and developed in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Activity and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, a yearlong pilot was conducted to determine the return on investment (ROI) of the add-on license for a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Approximately 130 individuals across OHIO participated in the pilot program and represented a wide range of users across various planning units. Participants agreed to be active in a Microsoft Teams AI channel, provide regular feedback and evaluations, adhere to University data security policies, document use cases and experiences, and collaborate with OHIO IT to contribute to the insights and understanding of Microsoft Copilot. Monthly meetings were held with participants to share updates and information and solicit feedback from Copilot users. The pilot concluded on May 30, 2025.

Key insights

Moderate productivity gains: Copilot proved helpful for quick drafting tasks, especially in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint. Participants in communication-heavy roles reported the most value.
Ease of use vs. depth of impact: Most users found Copilot easy to try. However, only a portion reported consistent, measurable time savings, typically 1–3 hours per week.
Role-specific relevance matters: Users in administrative or research support roles saw more benefit than those in instructional or technical support roles.
Training and trust are barriers: Participants wanted more guidance on how to use prompts effectively and clearer insight into what data Copilot uses and how it works.
Cautious optimism: Despite its current limitations, many participants believe Copilot, or similar tools, will become more useful with time, especially if adapted for academic needs.

You can view the full report here.

OHIO IT would like to thank the pilot participants for their engagement, thoughtful feedback, and many contributions to the success of the Microsoft 365 Copilot pilot. As OHIO IT continues its commitment to exploring AI tools and fostering collaborative discovery and discussion, ongoing community participation is encouraged through OHIO IT’s AI Community of Interest group. Faculty and staff interested in being considered for inclusion in a pilot for ChatGPT Edu can complete this interest form.

OHIO IT has also curated these Knowledge Base articles to support Microsoft Copilot users:

Tags: