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A Practical Guide to AI Tools at UMB

Choosing the right AI Tool

Higher education professionals increasingly work within interconnected AI ecosystems rather than relying on a single AI platform. Different AI systems support different workflows, communication styles, teaching practices, administrative tasks, and collaborative environments. This guide organizes major AI platforms by their primary institutional role to support more intentional, human-centered adoption.

Why This Framing Matters

  • Tool choice depends on context, workflow, and audience.
  • Institutional ecosystems shape adoption and effectiveness.
  • Human oversight, accessibility, and intentionality remain essential.

Productivity & Operations Tools

Key Strengths:

  • Microsoft 365 integration
  • workflow acceleration
  • meeting summaries
  • spreadsheet assistance

Common Higher Education Uses:

  • Outlook drafting
  • PowerPoint development
  • Teams meeting synthesis
  • committee workflows

Institutional Note: Copilot succeeds institutionally because many campuses already operate within Microsoft environments.

Scout is an AI-powered application inventory assistant designed to help users quickly find information about software and technology resources across the university. By providing easy access to application details, ownership information, licensing guidance, and related resources, Scout helps faculty, staff, and students make informed decisions about the tools they use while reducing the time spent searching for information.  

Knowledge & Reasoning Tools

Key Strengths:

  • Brainstorming, communication, creative ideation
  • drafting and revision
  • multimodal workflows
  • presentation support

Common Higher Education Uses:

  • emails and announcements
  • workshops/PD
  • assignment design
  • presentation planning

Institutional Note: ChatGPT increasingly supports both writing and creative multimedia workflows through integrated image-generation capabilities.

Key Strengths:

  • long-document analysis
  • structured reasoning
  • policy synthesis

Common Higher Education Uses:

  • accreditation review
  • strategic planning
  • institutional reporting

Institutional Note: Claude works best for analytical, and synthesis-heavy workflows.

Darwin is UMB’s AI-powered Research Collaborator Chatbot, designed to help faculty and researchers discover expertise, identify potential collaborators, and explore interdisciplinary research opportunities across the University. Built on the NebulaONE (Microsoft Azure) platform and enhanced with institutional research data, Darwin helps users quickly connect with colleagues, support grant development efforts, and build stronger research teams. 

 

Key Strengths:

  • Google Workspace integration
  • meeting synthesis
  • collaborative workflows

Common Higher Education Uses:

  • shared document ecosystems
  • team coordination

Institutional Note: Gemini becomes especially useful in campuses already embedded in Google ecosystems.

Perplexity 

Level 0 - Public Classification Only

AI-powered conversational answer engine that processes user questions using large language models combined with real-time web search.

How to Access

Submit IT-PCS Software Request Form before use. Personal account registration required.

Visit Official Page

Key Strengths

  • Real-time web search integration
  • Source citations for answers
  • Research-focused interface
  • Free tier available for basic use

Important Warnings

  • Permitted only for Level 0 (public) data
  • Must not involve autonomous or agentic workflows
  • Do not input confidential or sensitive data

Visual & Multimedia Tools

Adobe Sensei

Level 0 - Public Classification Only

Adobe's AI and machine learning platform integrated across Creative Cloud for intelligent automation, image editing, and content creation.

How to Access

Submit IT-PCS Software Request Form before use. Available with Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

Visit Official Page

Key Strengths

  • AI-powered content-aware editing
  • Automated tagging and organization
  • Intelligent image enhancement
  • Integration across Adobe Creative Cloud

Important Warnings

  • Permitted only for Level 0 (public) data
  • Requires Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
  • Do not input confidential or sensitive data

Adobe Firefly

Level 0 - Public Classification Only

Adobe's AI and machine learning platform integrated across Creative Cloud for intelligent automation, image editing, and content creation.

How to Access

Submit IT-PCS Software Request Form before use. Available with Adobe Creative Cloud subscription.

Visit Official Page

Key Strengths

  • AI-powered content-aware editing
  • Automated tagging and organization
  • Intelligent image enhancement
  • Integration across Adobe Creative Cloud

Important Warnings

  • Permitted only for Level 0 (public) data
  • Requires Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
  • Do not input confidential or sensitive data

Contact

Help Desk

410-706-4357 help@umaryland.edu

Office Hours:

Weekdays
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Security & Compliance

security-compliance@umaryland.edu

For AI security questions, data classification guidance, or compliance concerns

When to Contact:

  • Questions about data classification levels
  • AI security concerns or incidents
  • Compliance requirements for AI tools
  • Requesting approval for new AI tools

Related Policies & Governance

AI Governance Policy UMB Artificial Intelligence Guidelines UMB Data Classification Policy

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