Overview

  • 8 minutes

The Overview section provides essential resources on AI, covering its history and potential impact. You'll also find Microsoft Copilot tools and role-specific suggestions for how they can benefit your school community. This section helps your team share a common understanding of AI in education so that you can make informed decisions, policies, and plans.

Introduction to AI

With the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, generative AI surfaced as one of the most talked about technologies since the emergence of the internet in the mid-1990s. It transformed the technological landscape and is already impacting the worlds of work, education, and entertainment. At its core, generative AI leverages complex algorithms and vast datasets to generate new, original content ranging from text, images, music, video, and more.

The Overview section also covers important topics that build your AI knowledge, including understanding the role of data in AI systems, how AI is changing the future of work, and the importance of having appropriate tools and infrastructure in place for successful AI adoption. You gain insights into how quality and diversity of data matter more than volume and how breaking down data silos enables better AI outcomes.

Get to know the Microsoft Copilot tools

The Overview section helps your institution reimagine learning and school operations through enhanced creativity and productivity, streamlined communication, and improved security. Over this module, you explore the Microsoft AI tools including Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot in Windows, Security Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and Copilot for Dynamics 365. Students aged 13 and older with school-issued Microsoft accounts can use Copilot Chat at no additional cost, and Copilot with an add-on license, both of which come with enterprise data protection and IT controls.

In addition to these core tools, the Overview section introduces Learning Accelerators and Learning Zone. Learning Accelerators are AI-powered tools designed to support student literacy, math, social-emotional, and speaking skills. Learning Zone is an AI feature in Windows 11 that provides AI-enhanced learning experiences. Copilot+ PCs enable educators to create new AI-powered lessons within Learning Zone.

  • Copilot Chat: Access AI-powered chat for the web with enterprise data protection at no additional cost for educators, staff, and students aged 13 and older.
  • Copilot: Enhance productivity with AI assistance that works alongside you in everyday applications—Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Loop.
  • Security Copilot: Defend at machine speed using this security-focused generative AI solution that enables IT teams to respond to incidents, hunt threats, gather intelligence, and manage security posture through natural language.
  • Copilot Studio: Build, customize, and deploy your own copilots with this low-code AI development platform tailored to the way you work.
  • GitHub Copilot: Write code faster and smarter with AI-generated suggestions based on context and description.
  • Copilot in Dynamics 365: Automate tasks, analyze data, and generate actionable suggestions to improve school performance and student outcomes.

The Overview section concludes by highlighting use cases that pair school community members with specific Microsoft AI tools.

Review the education leader sample taken from the AI Toolkit.

  • Copilot Chat: Increase productivity when completing administrative duties like:
    • Research and compare curricula
    • Outline an agenda for professional learning
    • Summarize online articles or PDFs
  • Copilot: Use Microsoft 365 apps and files to complete specialized tasks like:
    • Summarize internal state reports
    • Autodraft messages to faculty
    • Create visualizations from spreadsheets

The AI Toolkit includes sample prompts throughout. This section offers role-specific prompts for daily or recurring tasks, such as lesson planning and effective communication.

This prompt is designed to help education leaders with the common task of reviewing research and communicating with a diverse group of school community members. Start with this suggested prompt and then iterate to refine your results.

Copy and paste this prompt into Copilot Chat:


Summarize the 2025 AI in Education: Microsoft Special Report.
Include key findings about how students, educators, and
institutional leaders are currently using AI, their feelings
and concerns, and recommendations for responsible AI
integration. Provide a 1-2 sentence summary for each main
section and list five actionable steps leaders can take based
on the report’s findings. The summary should be written in
plain language. Cite sources.

Take your prompting further with these suggested refinements:

  • Consider different objectives and outputs when prompting.
  • Request images for social media
  • Create outlines for PowerPoint presentations.