Different Ways of Experiencing Generative AI Tools
- OpenWebUI provided by ITSO
- Sign in to OpenWebUI at https://openwebui.ust.hk with a HKUST staff or student account.
- Provides many enhanced features over the current HKUST GenAI Platform and has the same level of chat data security protection
- Support web search
- allow upload of more document formats, support voice input (including Cantonese), and more
- HKUST GenAI Platform provided by ITSO
- Sign in to HKUST GenAI Platform (the Platform) at https://genai.ust.hk with a HKUST staff or student account.
- Most of the above public chatbots have stated in their usage terms that chat data may be used for future training of the AI models. The chat content is also uploaded to cloud. This is a concern if users are using it for confidential HKUST documents.
- The Platform provides functionality similar to the public OpenAI ChatGPT, but with the chat data protection following our Cybersecurity guidelines.
- For details of the latest features offered by the Platform, please visit this webpage.
- Microsoft Copilot Chat (Bing Chat)
- Accessed from https://copilot.microsoft.com
- Refer to Usage Tips on Microsoft Copilot
- Bing is built on the more advanced GPT-4 model, and it is free.
- Bing incorporates ChatGPT AI into browsing and search. This allows the engine to grab new knowledge beyond Sep 2021 by searching up-to-dated information from Internet. Edge browser also allows you to open PDF file for the AI engine to digest. These features significantly expand the usage scenarios of Bing when compared with ChatGPT.
- Users are advised to login to Microsoft Copilot with ITSO username and password to enable data protection. Without the protection, users are advised to desensitize their data before submitting any data to Microsoft Copilot.
Comparison for Generative AI Tools
|
|
OpenWebUI |
HKUST GenAI Platform |
Microsoft Copilot Chat |
Microsoft 365 Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Access |
HKUST Staff and Students |
HKUST Staff and Students |
HKUST Staff and Students |
Licensed HKUST Staff only |
|
Cost |
Models vary in cost. Users can add more credits in their own expenses after they spend the $8 monthly credits. |
Free to use |
Requires additional license (around US$30 per user monthly) | |
| Key Features |
- Multiple AI models - Web search support - Voice input - on-going system enhancements |
- Multiple AI models - Vision/image capabilities - API access |
- Real-time web search - PDF analysis in Edge - Creative content generation |
- Direct Office app integration - Automated document creation - Meeting summarization |
| Best For |
- Handling sensitive university data - Research requiring data protection - interact with AI models with new features and experience |
- Handling sensitive university data - Research requiring data protection - API model access |
- General web research - Quick fact-checking - Creative brainstorming |
- Office productivity tasks - Automated reporting - Team collaboration |
|
Availability of Models |
GPT-4o-mini, GPT-4o, o1-mini, o3-mini, Llama33-70b, Llama-4-scout, deepseek-r1, HKGAI-V1 |
GPT-4o-mini, GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 Turbo, Gemini-1.5 Pro, Gemini-1.5 Flash, Gemini-1.0 Pro, o1-mini, o3-mini, Llama33-70b, deepseek-r1, HKGAI-V1 |
Powered by Microsoft proprietary foundation large language models which are built on OpenAI's GPT-4o |
|
| Unique Advantage | University-managed secure environment | University-managed secure environment | Free GPT-4 access with internet integration | Deep integration with organizational data |
|
Real Time Access to Internet Information |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Use with Confidential Data * |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, only when sign in with HKUST accounts |
Yes |
* Refer to Generative AI Usage Guidelines
https://itso.hkust.edu.hk/services/general-it-services/generative-ai-tools/guidelines
When to Choose Which:
- Confidential Work: All four GenAI tools above can be used with confidential data. For Microsoft Copilot Chat, this capability is applicable only when users are logged in with an HKUST account.
- Real-Time Info Needs: OpenWebUI, Microsoft Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Office Productivity: Microsoft 365 Copilot (e.g., report generation, email management)
- Creative Projects: All for GenAI tools offer image generation
- Budget Constraints: Microsoft Copilot (free) vs M365 Copilot (licensed)
For academic projects requiring data protection, OpenWebUI and HKUST GenAI are ideal. Microsoft Copilot excels in open web research, while M365 Copilot shines in Office document automation. All tools require HKUST login for maximum data protection when handling institutional information.