Artificial intelligence can help streamline routine tasks, improve communication, support decision-making, and increase productivity across many administrative and operational functions.
Whether you're drafting communications, organizing information, planning projects, or analyzing data, Iowa provides tools and resources to help you use AI responsibly and effectively.
AI Tools for Staff
University staff have access to AI tools that can support administrative work, communication, planning, data organization, and day-to-day operational tasks.
Before using any AI tool, consider the type of information you plan to share and whether the tool is approved for university use. Institutionally supported tools provide additional privacy, security, and compliance protections that may not be available in publicly available AI services.
Use AI to support your work—not replace your expertise, professional judgment, or responsibility for outcomes.
Administrative Staff
Recommended Tools
- M365 Copilot
- Copilot Chat
- ChatGPT
Use Cases
- Draft policies, memos, handbooks from internal documents (M365 Copilot)
- Summarize meetings and generate agendas (M365 Copilot)
- Draft external communications or form letters (ChatGPT)
- Plan events using Outlook calendars (M365 Copilot)
IT & Technical Staff
Recommended Tools
- Multi-model tool
- M365 Copilot
- ChatGPT
Use Cases
- Generate and test code snippets (Multi-model tool)
- Draft technical documentation using internal resources (M365 Copilot)
- Explain script behavior or log output in plain terms (ChatGPT)
- Automate repetitive code reviews or snippets
Communications & Marketing Staff
Recommended Tools
- Copilot Chat
- Multi-model tool
- ChatGPT
Use Cases
- Draft press releases and blogs (ChatGPT, Copilot Chat)
- Generate social media copy with tone variation (Multi-model tool)
- Refine brand voice and proofreading (ChatGPT)
- Repurpose long-form content for newsletters or campaigns
Considerations for AI Use
AI can help improve efficiency and productivity, but it should be used in accordance with university policies and expectations.
When using AI:
- Use approved tools whenever possible
- Understand what university data can and cannot be shared
- Review AI-generated content for accuracy
- Follow role-specific guidance and applicable policies
The questions and examples below provide general guidance for using AI in administrative and staff roles. Because not all AI use cases carry the same level of risk, the appropriate use of AI depends on the information involved, the intended purpose, and applicable university policies. For broader guidance, review the Using AI Responsibly page.
Low Risk
Generally appropriate when using approved tools and following university guidance.
Moderate Risk
May require additional review, oversight, or consideration of privacy, intellectual property, accessibility, or compliance requirements.
High Risk
Use cases that could lead to serious legal, compliance, or ethical complications or require substantial oversight and precautions.
AI Use Cases for Staff
Can I use AI to draft or improve emails?
Low Risk
AI can help draft messages, improve clarity, adjust tone, and summarize information. Always review content for accuracy and avoid sharing sensitive or restricted information.
Can I use AI to summarize meetings?
High Risk
There are many complications with recording and summarizing meetings. Specific guidance will be developed and shared in the future.
Can I use AI to generate policies or office procedures?
Medium Risk
While generative AI can be a good place to start with generating outlines and starting text for policies and procedures, all output should be closely reviewed by a subject matter expert before being officially enacted.
Can I use AI for market research?
Medium Risk
This is not recommended as it doesn’t play to the strength of current AI systems. Any market research performed by AI should be rigorously fact checked. AI might be used as a complimentary set of information but should be verified by human analysis.
Can I use AI to write a performance appraisal? How can I use AI in performance management?
Medium Risk
AI can be helpful in the writing process, but in this case, all of the ideas and concepts should come from the supervisor who is responsible for the performance appraisal. AI can be used to help summarize multiple sources of input and data; this helps formulate thoughts without duplications. AI can, with the proper prompts, aid in providing language that is more constructive or that provides clearer guidance. It can also help with creating personalized development plans based on content in the narrative of the performance review. Using key points from bulleted lists or notes, AI can streamline for clear, concise feedback, action items, and goals. Again, this is based on the supervisor’s findings and evaluation, and should NOT be generated by AI. When using AI to assist with writing a performance review, it is essential to use your university-provided Microsoft Copilot Chat account to ensure that any data entered remains private and secure. If you choose to use other AI tools, do not input any confidential, organizational, or personally identifiable information into those platforms. Be aware of the potential for AI to produce content that may introduce bias or produce inaccurate or false information. It is critical to keep the human in the loop and all material should be reviewed and verified by the supervisor authoring the review. While this guidance is focused on supervisor use of AI in evaluating others, staff who choose to use AI to support their own self-reviews should do so only as a drafting or reflection aid and remain fully responsible for the accuracy and substance of their submission.
Can I use AI to evaluate competitive bid responses?
High Risk
This is not an appropriate use of AI. AI can introduce bias and be factually incorrect so it should not be used to review vendor proposals in the competitive bid process. Additionally, there may be proprietary/protected information in RFP responses that should not be entered into AI systems.
Can I use AI to review job applicants' resumes?
High Risk
AI systems are known to demonstrate bias, so reviewing job applicants' resumes is not an appropriate use of AI. This process should be done by the recruiter. AI might inadvertently discriminate based on protected characteristics given the AI tool’s source data. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expects employers that use AI to take reasonable measures to test the algorithm's functionality in real-world scenarios to ensure the results are not biased.
Can I use AI to practice my Interviewing skills?
Low Risk
This can be a good use of AI. Here are some sources for advice on how to use AI as a tool to help you prepare for interviewing.
Can I use AI to write a position description or advertisement?
Medium Risk
AI can be used to help draft language for your job description or to make it more concise. However, the job descriptions should be in accordance with the University of Iowa’s job description requirements.
Can I use AI to write a letter of reference?
Medium Risk
As with anything AI, double and triple-checking facts is critical. The initial draft of a reference letter can be generated by AI for efficiency; however, it is very important when completing the letter to check for language that could introduce bias or false information. Avoid vague language and ensure the letter is geared specifically toward the person the reference is for. AI can certainly assist in cleaning an already drafted reference letter. If you have a letter already drafted, using AI can help clear up language and make the points in the letter more concise.
Can I use AI to write a cover letter?
Medium Risk
As with anything AI, double and triple check facts. The initial draft can be generated by AI to help save time; however, it is important when completing the letter to check for language that could introduce bias or false information. AI can certainly assist in editing a draft cover letter. Using AI can help clear up language and make the points in the letter more concise.
Can I use AI to evaluate applications for admissions?
High Risk
AI systems are known to demonstrate bias, so reviewing student admission applications is not an appropriate use of AI.
Can I use AI to boost efficiency in more hands-on, physical work?
Not every role benefits equally from an AI assistant that is focused on documents and digital content. Roles that do not involve extensive digital or desk-based work are less suited to using an AI assistant for efficiency gains. In these types of positions, the primary job duties rely on physical presence, hands-on work, or personal interactions rather than content creation or data processing. For such roles, AI assistants may have minimal impact since the bulk of their tasks cannot be offloaded to an AI.
However, even for hands-on roles, AI assistants can be valuable for documentation, correspondence and reports, etc., depending on the extent to which these tasks are performed.
Some example use cases and tool recommendations are below:
Draft reports or shift logs (ChatGPT)
Write email templates for staff or vendor communication (ChatGPT)
Create simple documentation or SOPs (Multi-model tool)
Query procedures or manuals (Copilot Chat)