Agents in Microsoft Teams
UAB IT is preparing to deploy Agents in Microsoft Teams, which are intelligent, conversational AI assistants that work inside Teams to help automate tasks, summarize conversations, manage workflows and act on your data, securely within UAB's Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Agents can be used by anyone at UAB with a campus Microsoft Teams license (faculty, staff, and students). Custom Agents can be built by anyone with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and shared with others similar to document sharing.
Features
Summarize
Ask an agent to summarize long chat threads, meeting transcripts, Teams channel conversations, and more.
Automate
Agents can help automate your channels and tasks. Set them up to generate status reports in channels, track tasks in Microsoft Planner, and create work plans.
Research
Helps you quickly research complex topics by pulling together information, brainstorming ideas, and drafting in-depth content directly in Copilot Chat.
Facilitate
Set your Agent up to take notes during meetings, keep discussions on track in calls, and provide next steps. Your agent can also help connect you to coworkers that have a skill set you need for an upcoming project.
Analyze
Turns complex data into clear insights and visualizations so you can understand trends and make decisions faster.
Translate
Provides real-time language interpretation in Teams meetings, allowing participants to speak and listen in their preferred language.
FAQ
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Who can use Teams Agents?
Anyone licensed for Teams will now have access to the Agent Store in Teams. People with access can leverage the Microsoft-provided and University-published agents.
Subscribers to Microsoft Copilot 365 can build their own Teams agents and share them with others via a sharing link. These can also be found in the Agent Store.
Teams Agents run inside the Teams client on the desktop, web, or mobile client.
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How do I access Teams Agents?
Open your Teams client and click on the Copilot logo in the left-hand tool bar. In the Copilot navigation, you should now see a section for "Agents." Click on "All Agents" to see the full store.
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What can Teams Agents help me do?
Teams Agents help you stay on top of meetings and conversations by summarizing discussions, tracking tasks, answering questions in real time, and keeping work moving without manual follow-up.
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Are Teams Agents secure?
Yes. Teams Agents operate within UAB's existing Microsoft 365 security boundaries, using the same identity, access controls, data protections, and compliance policies that apply to all Microsoft applications today (Teams, email, OneDrive, SharePoint).
They respect who can see what, based on your role and permissions. They follow our data protection and compliance rules, including sensitivity labels and policies. They are centrally governed and monitored by IT, just like other Microsoft 365 services.
Agents do not bypass security; they can only act within the access and permissions they are explicitly given, which is why proper setup and sharing matter, just like with document sharing.
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Can agents act autonomously?
Agents can take actions within the permissions they're granted. Microsoft has introduced agent patterns that operate across chats, channels, and meetings, with admin controls and human-in-the-loop governance to review actions. Availability of specific agent capabilities depends on tenant enablement and licensing.
Autonomy is configurable and intentional, not automatic. Agents only act independently when designed and approved to do so.
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Where can I learn more?
Any use of AI tools at UAB should follow the University's AI principles.
REDCap
Startup costs for projects requested through the Heersink School of Medicine's Department of Medicine instance of REDCap, a secure, web-based application designed for building and managing online surveys and databases for research studies, will be waived effective immediately, thanks to a generous decision from the Department of Medicine, which supports the largest REDCap instance on campus.
While the initial REDCap fee is waived, other services such as clinical study design, statistical analysis, and others will continue to be offered as a fee-for-service through the Department of Medicine. This ensures that researchers have access to expert-level analytics support when needed.
Windows 11 Upgrade
Beginning in late September, UAB IT is undertaking a project to automatically upgrade UAB Windows systems to Windows 11, which will affect those computers which are currently using Windows 10.
The upgrades are happening because Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 beginning Oct. 14, 2025, and all Windows systems must be upgraded by then.
Automated upgrades will occur every Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., from Sept. 27, 2024, to May 26, 2025, and there are steps you should take to prepare for the process. Keep in mind that if you can't adhere to these steps every weekend, your computer will be upgraded at another opportunity, or you can follow the steps below to upgrade on your own.
How to prepare your computer for the upgrade:
- Leave your campus computer on overnight during the update times.
- Ensure your laptop has access to the internet, whether on-campus or off-campus.
- Connect your off-campus desktop computer to the UAB VPN.
How to upgrade your computer to Windows 11 on your own:
- Submit a ticket with AskIT. Include your device name, asset tag number or service tag number on the ticket.
- Reboot your computer before you upgrade.
- Follow the instructions in this article in the IT Service Portal.
What to know about software and systems:
- Some systems do not meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, but UAB IT is working with school and unit Information Security Liaisons to identify and address systems that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11.
- Systems must have at least 64GB available disk space to upgrade to Windows 11.
- UAB IT has verified that UAB IT-provided software will work with Windows 11.
- If you are using any software or applications that are not provided by UAB IT, verify with your software vendor that you have a version that will work with Windows 11.
What to expect after your system has been updated to Windows 11:
- Your login screen will look different, and the Windows icon will appear in the middle of the desktop taskbar.
- Your system should be configured just as it was before the upgrade, and you should have access to the same resources.
Where to get help and information
- Contact AskIT at (205) 996-5555 or through our IT Service Portal at uab.edu/techhelp.
- Learn more about Windows 11 on the Microsoft web site.
- Learn more about Copilot for Windows 11 on the Microsoft web site, a built-in tool that allows you to use Copilot with Data Protection.
Reach out if you’re having trouble
When you need help, we’re here to get you back to work, fast! Request IT services, report problems with IT services, or read knowledge articles about IT services.
What’s your Blazer journey?
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