Understanding Copilot

Yes. Your data is secure when using Microsoft 365 Copilot at LSE. Copilot works entirely inside the secure Microsoft 365 environment and follows the same security, privacy and compliance protections as tools like Outlook, OneDrive and SharePoint.

Copilot can only access information that you already have permission to view. It uses your existing Microsoft 365 permissions, so if you cannot access a file, email or site, Copilot cannot access it either. It does not send your data to public AI services and your prompts are not used to train the underlying AI model. Your chats with Copilot are private unless you choose to share the output.

In short: Copilot is designed to keep LSE data secure, it only works with data you can already see, and it operates within the same protected environment as the rest of Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Graph is the secure data connection that links together all your Microsoft 365 apps and information. It acts as the underlying service that lets tools like Copilot understand your emails, files, calendar events, Teams chats, and SharePoint content, based strictly on your existing permissions. It is connecting Copilot to your work data so that responses are grounded in our organisational context and access rights.

In simple terms:

• It is the gateway to your Microsoft 365 data, including Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Planner and more.
• Copilot uses Microsoft Graph to bring together the information you already have access to, so it can generate relevant and personalised responses.
• It does not give Copilot access to anything you cannot already see.
• It ensures your data stays inside Microsoft’s secure environment.

Copilot is different from public AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini because these operate on the open internet and have no access to LSE systems, files, or security controls. Copilot runs entirely within LSE’s secure Microsoft 365 environment. Your data stays inside this protected space and is never used to train public AI models. This makes Copilot a much safer and more appropriate tool for working with School information.

Yes, because the web function is enabled, Copilot can search the internet for up-to-date information when you ask a question.

When you use Copilot, you can choose to include web results by turning on the “Web content” option for your prompt.

Copilot will show information from trusted public sources, with citations, alongside our organisational data. All web searches are protected by Microsoft’s enterprise safeguards, so your privacy and security are maintained.

If you want Copilot to use only your work files and emails, simply leave the web option turned off.

Your Copilot chats are private to you, but as with other Microsoft 365 data they are subject to LSE compliance.

Copilot doesn’t automatically apply LSE branding, but you can use branded PowerPoint files to guide the style of what it creates. Upload a .pptx version of your LSE‑branded template, and Copilot can reference it when generating new slides.

If you want Copilot to use your branding consistently, you can also save key guidelines using Copilot Memory. This generally works well, but you may occasionally need to remind Copilot of specific formatting preferences.

No—Copilot cannot access Aetopia directly, but you can refer to this Aetopia user guidance

Writing personalisation works best in Copilot Chat and Word for the web. In the desktop app, Copilot often mirrors the existing tone of the document, email, or file you provide, even if you’ve set personalisation preferences.
When reviewing outputs, check whether Copilot has adopted the document’s tone. If it has, simply remind it in your prompt (e.g., “Use my personal writing style” or “Rewrite in a friendly tone”).

What is Copilot Chat?
Copilot Chat is a secure chat tool where you can ask questions and get quick, helpful answers. It can explain things, summarise information, help you get started with tasks, and guide you step-by-step. It can use general web information or, if you have permission, information from your organisation to give more relevant answers.

What is Microsoft Copilot M365?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is built into the apps you already use, like Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams. You type a prompt, and Copilot helps you write, summarise, create slides, organise information or analyse data. It works alongside you to speed up everyday tasks using information you already have access to.

Copilot creates its answers using advanced AI (large language models) combined with your Microsoft 365 work context such as your emails, files, meetings, and the app you’re using. It does not simply copy and paste text from your documents; instead, it generates new content based on your prompt and the information you have access to.

• If you include or quote specific text in your prompt, Copilot can use that directly.
• If web search is enabled, Copilot can also bring in information from trusted public sources and will show citations for anything it finds online.

To ensure you use Copilot responsibly at LSE, please complete our Responsible Use of AI course, which covers best practices and compliance for AI tools in our organisation.

Microsoft 365 Copilot works inside your Microsoft apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams) and automatically accesses LSE's data to help with tasks within your existing workflow. It knows your emails, documents and meetings.

Claude is a standalone AI assistant accessed separately through web or app. It doesn't integrate with Microsoft 365 or access LSE data unless you provide it. It offers broader conversational abilities and sophisticated reasoning for complex problems.

Microsoft 365 Copilot does not use your data to train its underlying AI model, and your prompts are not used to improve Copilot for others. 

However, Copilot can remember information you choose to save, such as preferences, facts, or instructions to personalise your experience in the future. This feature is called Copilot Memory. 

You can view or delete your saved memories at any time in Copilot’s settings.Memories are stored securely in your mailbox. You can learn more about how to create, edit and manage your Copilot memories using our step-by-step guide. 

Copilot conversations remain in your account unless you delete them. If your account is removed, the conversations are also deleted. LSE does not enforce an automatic deletion policy.

Yes, Copilot is available in SharePoint as the “Page with Copilot” feature. This tool helps you quickly draft, rewrite, or reorganise pages and sections using your site’s existing content and templates. You can use Copilot to generate new text, summarise information, or improve the clarity of your SharePoint pages.

Tips:

• Look for the “Page with Copilot” option when creating or editing a page in SharePoint.
• You can ask Copilot to help with anything from drafting announcements to restructuring complex pages.

Yes, Copilot can help you create meeting minutes that include actions and decisions, but you need to have transcription turned on for the meeting.

Here’s how it works:

1. Turn on transcription at the start of your Teams meeting (this captures everything that’s said).
2. After the meeting, go to the Meeting Recap or use the Facilitator feature in Teams. Ask Copilot to “Draft minutes with actions and decisions from this meeting.” Copilot will use the transcript to identify key points, decisions, and action items, and generate a draft set of minutes for you.
3. Review and edit the draft to make sure it’s accurate before sharing.

Tip: Without transcription, Copilot can’t review what was said after the meeting ends, so minutes and action points will be less complete. 

No, Copilot will never send emails or schedule meetings on your behalf without your approval. Copilot helps by drafting emails, messages, or meeting invites and can suggest actions like “schedule a meeting,” but you always review and confirm before anything is sent or booked. You stay in full control of all final actions.

Copilot can help you keep track of actions and reminders in two ways:

• During or after a meeting, Copilot can identify action items and who is responsible for them by analysing the meeting transcript or notes.
• Copilot can help you draft reminder messages to follow up with people about their actions.

For automated reminders and regular follow-ups, you can use Copilot’s Scheduled Prompts feature. For example, you can set Copilot to send you a summary of open actions from last week’s meetings every morning. For more advanced tracking and reminders, you can also use Microsoft Planner or To Do tools.

Use groups (Owners, Members, Visitors) rather than assigning permissions to individuals.

Review permissions regularly, especially for sensitive content.

Avoid using “Everyone” or “All Staff” for confidential areas.

Document who manages permissions for each site.

Keep your file structure simple and consistent.

By default, permissions in SharePoint are inherited from the level above—usually the site or the library. Breaking inheritance means stopping this automatic link and setting unique permissions for a specific library, folder, or file. This ensures sensitive content is only visible to the people who need access.

It’s important to plan your permissions before applying them. Always check which level you’re working at (site, library, or folder) before breaking inheritance to avoid giving access too broadly—or restricting it unintentionally. Breaking inheritance is useful and valid in many cases, but if you don’t break it, the library or folder will remain visible to everyone who has access at the higher level.

If permissions are not managed correctly, confidential files could be viewed, edited, or shared by the wrong people, leading to data breaches or compliance issues. Always review permissions for sensitive content and store it in a restricted area.

Be clear on the outcome: what you want, who it’s for, and what “good” looks like Give context: paste the key source text or point M365 Copilot to the specific file/email/thread it should use. 

Set boundaries and structure: length, headings, must-include/must-avoid points, and the format (bullets/table/steps). 

Invite a quick check-in: tell M365 Copilot to ask clarifying questions if anything is missing or ambiguous. 

Work iteratively: outline first, then expand, then refine specific sections (instead of regenerating everything). 

Quality-control the output: ask it to separate facts vs assumptions and always review for accuracy, tone, and permissions.  

Tell M365 Copilot exactly the tone you want. For example: ‘Rewrite this to sound friendly’, ‘Make this more formal’, or ‘Use a confident and concise tone.’ M365 Copilot will adjust the style to match what you specify.  Tips:

• Upload the LSE Tone of Voice guidance to M365 Copilot and ask it to remember it – M365 Copilot will use it for all its outputs. 
• Use the Copilot Memory function to ensure M365 Copilot remembers your personalised tone preferences.