Bring AI-powered chatbots and agents to your UAB department
UAB AI Services helps faculty and staff create chatbots that answer questions, guide users and share knowledge, all built on UAB-approved tools and standards.
UAB AI Services
UAB AI Services helps faculty, staff and campus partners use AI-powered chatbots to answer questions, share information and improve everyday experiences across UAB. Built around UAB-approved tools and standards, these chatbots provide helpful, consistent responses while aligning with institutional expectations for privacy, security and accessibility.
The service includes three offerings.
BlazeBot Service
Supports centrally managed chatbots used by broad audiences across UAB.
More on BlazeBot technologiesCustom Copilot Agents
Allow departments and teams to create and share their own conversational assistants using familiar Microsoft tools.
More on Copilot StudioConsultation and Design
Help units explore ideas, shape content and design chatbot solutions that meet their goals, without requiring technical expertise.
Faculty and staff can request UAB AI Services on behalf of a department, unit or institutional initiative.
UAB AI Services Options Compared
Use this comparison to see how the three offerings differ and which best fits your goals.
| UAB AI Services Option | Best For (Use Case) | Typical Audience | Level of Expertise Needed | Key Strengths | When to Choose This |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlazeBot Service (Centrally Managed Chatbots) | Broad, campus-wide or enterprise services (e.g., common FAQs, student services) | Large, diverse audiences across UAB | None required from end users; managed by a central team, while you choose the information used |
|
Choose when you need a chatbot for a wide audience and want UAB IT to manage everything end-to-end |
| Custom Copilot Agents | Team- or department-specific assistants (e.g., internal processes, documentation, knowledge bases) | Smaller teams with defined needs | Low to moderate; built using familiar Microsoft tools (such as Teams, SharePoint, Copilot Studio) |
|
Choose when your team wants control and customization for your own workflows without building from scratch |
| Consultation & Design Services | Early-stage ideas, complex needs, or when users aren't sure what they need yet | Departments exploring chatbot possibilities | None required; guided by UAB IT experts |
|
Choose when you need help defining the right solution before building anything |
Ways AI Services Can Help
Answer
Help users get quick, consistent answers to common questions using approved departmental or institutional content.
Guide
Support students, employees or visitors with clear next steps, helpful information and self-service guidance in a conversational format.
Share Knowledge
Make important information easier to find by turning trusted documents and resources into a simple question-and-answer experience.
Create and Share
Give departments and teams the ability to create custom assistants for their own needs and share them with the right audience.
Design
Work with UAB IT to shape the right chatbot experience, organize content and choose the best approach for your goals.
Improve
Support ongoing refinement through management, analytics and tuning so chatbot experiences continue to get better over time.
Frequently asked questions
Faculty and staff may request UAB AI Services on behalf of a department, unit or institutional initiative. Requests are typically submitted by someone responsible for the content or service the chatbot will support.
AI-powered chatbot experiences built through UAB AI Services may be made available to faculty, staff, students or the public, depending on the intended audience and use case.
Yes. Chatbots can be designed to use specific, approved information sources selected by your team. This helps ensure responses are accurate, relevant and aligned with your goals.
Chatbots can reference public and internal UAB information appropriate for their audience. The use of sensitive or restricted data is carefully reviewed and must align with university policies.
Yes. UAB AI Services uses UAB-approved platforms and security controls to help protect information and ensure responsible use. Data access follows existing permissions and institutional standards.
Depending on the service offering, chatbots may appear on websites, within Microsoft tools such as Teams, or other approved campus locations where users already work or seek information.
If your team frequently answers the same questions, shares guidance or resources, or supports users navigating a process, a chatbot may be a good fit. UAB IT can help you evaluate whether a chatbot is the right solution.
Chatbots can help answer questions, guide users to resources, reduce repetitive inquiries and improve access to information, allowing staff to focus on higher-value work.
Examples include chatbots that support student services, HR inquiries, policy questions, IT information and departmental FAQs, tailored to specific audiences and needs.
Effort varies by service offering. Some chatbots require minimal setup, while others involve collaboration to design content and review responses. UAB IT provides guidance and support to keep the effort manageable.
When planning or using any chatbot, refer to UAB's AI policies and guidelines .