Description:
AI chatbots are everywhere, but most IT teams haven’t had the chance to actually build one. This hands-on workshop changes that.
Led by the Joint Innovation in AI Team (JIAIT), a cross-unit collaboration focused on developing AI solutions for campus, this session explores how our team is designing and deploying chatbot solutions across real university use cases, including IT support, internal documentation, advising, and operational workflows.
We’ll start with a brief overview of lessons learned from building multiple agents using Copilot Studio, Illinois Chat, and custom code, including what works, what doesn’t, and where teams often get stuck.
In this 105-minute workshop, participants will create their own AI chatbot using Copilot Studio, with guided, step-by-step instruction from a team actively building agents in production environments.
By the end of the session, attendees will have a functional chatbot they can continue developing after the workshop, along with a clear understanding of how to apply these tools in their own environments.
This session is designed for IT professionals with little to no prior experience building AI agents who are ready to move from exploration to implementation.
About this event:
Presenters:
- Jake Myers, Associate Director of Operations, Big Ten Academic Alliance
- Bryan Jonker, Senior Web Developer, College of Education
- JamesBabiarz, System Engineer, Engineering IT Shared Services
- PaulTaraszka,Associate Site Reliability Engineer,Engineering IT Shared Services
Track:
Make It So with Data and AI — Leverage AI and predictive analytics to chart courses no one has calculated before.
Experience Needed:
Intermediate
Learning Outcome:
Understand how AI chatbots are built and used in higher education
Build a functional chatbot using Copilot Studio
Apply real-world lessons and best practices
Identify opportunities to deploy chatbots in their own environment
Maximum Capacity:
50 or less
Additional Keywords:
Copilot Studio, Hands-On Workshop, Chatbots, AI Agents, AI