Evanston, United States

Northwestern University

No reviewed summary yet

Reviewed record

Reviewed claims

21 reviewed claims

Privacy

Northwestern guidance states that faculty, staff, students, and affiliates should not enter institutional data into any generative AI tools that have not been validated by the University for appropriate use and have explicit permission of the data provider.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence98%

Normalized value: no_institutional_data_in_unvalidated_ai

Original evidence

Evidence 1
University faculty, staff, students, and affiliates should not enter institutional data into any generative AI tools that have not been validated by the University for appropriate use and have explicit permission of the data provider.

Teaching

Northwestern provides instructors with three course-level AI policy options: Open (GAI permitted), Conditional (GAI permitted when explicitly authorized), and Closed (GAI prohibited).

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: three_course_ai_policy_options

Original evidence

Evidence 1
As with other course features, instructors are free to integrate generative artificial intelligence (GAI) to support their teaching goals. Instructors should carefully consider whether and how they will allow the use of GAI in their courses. All instructors should clearly communicate their expectations or requirements to students to avoid confusion. It may help to consider three main options: Open: The use of GAI is permitted. Conditional: The use of GAI is permitted when explicitly authorized by the instructor. Closed: The use of GAI is prohibited.

Privacy

Northwestern classifies data into four levels. Only Level 1 (non-confidential, public) data may be uploaded to publicly available generative AI tools. Data above Level 1 requires tools approved through Northwestern IT procurement and security review.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: data_classification_levels_ai_use

Original evidence

Evidence 1
To determine whether your data requires special attention, consult Northwestern Data Classification Policy. If your data is Level 1 (non-confidential and public data), uploading it to generative AI tools is permissible. To process data above Level 1, any generative AI tool must have been approved through Northwestern IT procurement and security review processes.

Ai Tool Treatment

Adobe Creative Cloud is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"adobe_creative_cloud","rawToolName":"Adobe Creative Cloud","description":"Creative Cloud with AI features, storage and asset libraries.","howToObtain":"Obtain the annual licence.","costToUser":"Annual cost.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Adobe Creative Cloud for faculty and staff, with AI features and an annual cost.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Adobe Creative Cloud for faculty and staff, with AI features and an annual cost.

Ai Tool Treatment

ArcGIS is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"arcgis","rawToolName":"ArcGIS","description":"Geospatial software with AI object classification features.","howToObtain":"Use Northwestern's ArcGIS licence.","costToUser":"Included, with possible ArcGIS Online analysis cost.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists ArcGIS for faculty, staff, and students; feature access is included with Northwestern's ArcGIS license, while ArcGIS Online analysis may have an additional cost.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists ArcGIS for faculty, staff, and students; feature access is included with Northwestern's ArcGIS license, while ArcGIS Online analysis may have an additional cost.

Ai Tool Treatment

Amazon Bedrock on Amazon Web Services is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"aws_bedrock","rawToolName":"Amazon Bedrock on Amazon Web Services","description":"Cloud API platform for Llama and Nova models.","howToObtain":"Set up a Northwestern-affiliated AWS account.","costToUser":"Pay-as-you-go AWS pricing.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Amazon Bedrock on AWS for faculty, staff, and students with pay-as-you-go pricing; faculty and staff can set up a Northwestern-affiliated account.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Amazon Bedrock on AWS for faculty, staff, and students with pay-as-you-go pricing; faculty and staff can set up a Northwestern-affiliated account.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft Foundry on Microsoft Azure is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"azure_ai_foundry","rawToolName":"Microsoft Foundry on Microsoft Azure","description":"Cloud platform for OpenAI, Llama, and Microsoft models through APIs.","howToObtain":"Set up a Northwestern-affiliated Azure account.","costToUser":"Pay-as-you-go Azure pricing; students can receive a $100 credit.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Microsoft Foundry on Azure for faculty, staff, and students with pay-as-you-go pricing; faculty and staff can set up a Northwestern-affiliated account and students can get a $100 credit.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Microsoft Foundry on Azure for faculty, staff, and students with pay-as-you-go pricing; faculty and staff can set up a Northwestern-affiliated account and students can get a $100 credit.

Ai Tool Treatment

ChatGPT Business is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: third party service.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"chatgpt","rawToolName":"ChatGPT Business","description":"OpenAI team service for two or more people.","howToObtain":"Purchase directly from OpenAI.","costToUser":"Seat and usage-based costs.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"third_party_service"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists ChatGPT Business for faculty, staff, and students; teams purchase it directly from OpenAI with seat and usage-based costs.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists ChatGPT Business for faculty, staff, and students; teams purchase it directly from OpenAI with seat and usage-based costs.

Ai Tool Treatment

Claude Team is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: third party service.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"claude","rawToolName":"Claude Team","description":"Anthropic team service for five or more people.","howToObtain":"Purchase directly from Anthropic.","costToUser":"Seat and usage-based costs.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"third_party_service"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Claude Team for faculty, staff, and students; teams purchase it directly from Anthropic with seat and usage-based costs.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Claude Team for faculty, staff, and students; teams purchase it directly from Anthropic with seat and usage-based costs.

Ai Tool Treatment

EndNote 2025 is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"endnote","rawToolName":"EndNote 2025","description":"Citation manager with AI search and summarization features.","howToObtain":"Use the Northwestern-provided software.","costToUser":"Free for Northwestern students, faculty, and staff.","availability":"allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists EndNote 2025, which includes AI search and summarization features and is free for Northwestern students, faculty, and staff.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists EndNote 2025, which includes AI search and summarization features and is free for Northwestern students, faculty, and staff.

Ai Tool Treatment

GitHub Copilot is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"github_copilot","rawToolName":"GitHub Copilot","description":"AI coding assistant in Northwestern's GitHub enterprise context.","howToObtain":"Use a Northwestern GitHub enterprise account or GitHub Education eligibility.","costToUser":"Per-user organisation cost; free for eligible students and teaching faculty through GitHub Education.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists GitHub Copilot for faculty, staff, and students, with a per-user cost in the Northwestern GitHub enterprise account and free access for students and teaching faculty through GitHub Education.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists GitHub Copilot for faculty, staff, and students, with a per-user cost in the Northwestern GitHub enterprise account and free access for students and teaching faculty through GitHub Education.

Ai Tool Treatment

Vertex AI on Google Cloud is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"google_vertex_ai","rawToolName":"Vertex AI on Google Cloud","description":"Cloud API platform for Gemini models.","howToObtain":"Set up a Northwestern-affiliated Google Cloud account.","costToUser":"Pay-as-you-go Google Cloud pricing; students receive initial credit.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Vertex AI on Google Cloud for faculty, staff, and students with pay-as-you-go pricing and Northwestern-affiliated account setup paths.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Vertex AI on Google Cloud for faculty, staff, and students with pay-as-you-go pricing and Northwestern-affiliated account setup paths.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft Copilot Chat (Basic) is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"microsoft_copilot","rawToolName":"Microsoft Copilot Chat (Basic)","description":"General-purpose chatbot using GPT and DALL-E models.","howToObtain":"Use the Northwestern Microsoft account.","costToUser":"Included with the Northwestern Microsoft account.","availability":"allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT's tools catalogue lists Microsoft Copilot Chat (Basic) for faculty, staff, and students, included with a Northwestern Microsoft account.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT's tools catalogue lists Microsoft Copilot Chat (Basic) for faculty, staff, and students, included with a Northwestern Microsoft account.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"microsoft_copilot_for_m365","rawToolName":"Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium)","description":"Expanded Copilot integrated with Microsoft 365 applications.","howToObtain":"Obtain Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.","costToUser":"Requires licence.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) for faculty and staff; it requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) for faculty and staff; it requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft Copilot for Teams is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"microsoft_copilot_for_m365","rawToolName":"Microsoft Copilot for Teams","description":"Copilot meeting transcriptions and summaries in Teams.","howToObtain":"Obtain Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.","costToUser":"Requires licence.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Microsoft Copilot for Teams for faculty and staff; it requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Microsoft Copilot for Teams for faculty and staff; it requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.

Ai Tool Treatment

Panopto is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"panopto","rawToolName":"Panopto","description":"Video platform with automatic AI-generated captions.","howToObtain":"Use a Northwestern Panopto account.","costToUser":"Included with the Northwestern Panopto account.","availability":"allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Panopto for faculty, staff, and students; it is included with a Northwestern Panopto account and supplies AI-generated captions automatically on uploaded videos.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Panopto for faculty, staff, and students; it is included with a Northwestern Panopto account and supplies AI-generated captions automatically on uploaded videos.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft Teams Premium is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: conditionally allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"teams_premium","rawToolName":"Microsoft Teams Premium","description":"Teams add-on with intelligent meeting capabilities.","howToObtain":"Obtain a Teams add-on licence.","costToUser":"Requires add-on licence.","availability":"conditionally_allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Microsoft Teams Premium for faculty and staff; it requires a Teams add-on license.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Microsoft Teams Premium for faculty and staff; it requires a Teams add-on license.

Ai Tool Treatment

Zoom AI Companion Meeting Features is listed for Northwestern University in an official university AI tools source. Derived availability: allowed. Derived endorsement type: institutionally licensed or procured.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence97%

Normalized value: {"tool":"zoom_ai_companion","rawToolName":"Zoom AI Companion Meeting Features","description":"Generative AI digital assistant for meetings.","howToObtain":"Use a Northwestern Zoom account.","costToUser":"Included with the Northwestern Zoom account.","availability":"allowed","endorsementType":"institutionally_licensed_or_procured"}

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Northwestern IT lists Zoom AI Companion Meeting Features for faculty, staff, and students, included with a Northwestern Zoom account for meeting summaries, questions, and smart recordings.

Localized display only

Northwestern IT lists Zoom AI Companion Meeting Features for faculty, staff, and students, included with a Northwestern Zoom account for meeting summaries, questions, and smart recordings.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft Copilot is Northwestern's primary approved generative AI tool. All students, faculty, and staff have access to free Copilot Chat, with full Copilot for Microsoft 365 available as a paid subscription.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence96%

Normalized value: copilot_primary_approved_tool

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Microsoft Copilot is the primary, general-use AI tool available at Northwestern. All Northwestern students, faculty, and staff have access to the free Copilot Chat, and faculty and staff can use the full Copilot for Microsoft 365 Copilot capabilities with an add-on paid subscription. When you are logged into these services with your Northwestern NetID, your data is protected and operates fully within Northwestern security, compliance, and data boundaries.

Academic Integrity

Unauthorized use of ChatGPT or other Generative AI tools is considered cheating and/or plagiarism per Northwestern Academic Integrity guidelines.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence95%

Normalized value: unauthorized_ai_use_is_cheating

Original evidence

Evidence 1
Unauthorized use of ChatGPT or other Generative AI tools is considered cheating and/or plagiarism in Academic Integrity: A Basic Guide.

Ai Tool Treatment

Microsoft Copilot, when signed in with a Northwestern Microsoft account, is approved for Level 2 and generally Level 3 data. Publicly available AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, MidJourney) may only be used with Level 1 public data.

Review: Agent reviewedConfidence95%

Normalized value: copilot_approved_for_sensitive_data

Original evidence

Evidence 1
The following table outlines Northwestern current services posture based on data classification: Conversational/Interactive Mode - Public Data (Level 1): Use of publicly available tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Bard/Gemini, MidJourney, etc.). Sensitive/Regulated Data (Level 2, Level 3, Level 4): Microsoft Copilot, when signed in with a Northwestern Microsoft account for Level 2 and Level 3 data.

Source record

Official sources

7 sources

Record information, JSON & citation
Reviewagent reviewedConfidence98%Snapshot statusNot publishedJSONPublic JSON

Citation: University AI Policy Tracker. "Northwestern University AI Policy Tracker record." Last checked July 19, 2026. https://eduaipolicy.org/universities/northwestern-university

Original university source language remains canonical. This tracker is not an official university statement.

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