On 19 January, the University of Manchester announced its “world-first AI partnership” with Microsoft. The new partnership will see 65,000 students and staff receive full access to Microsoft 365 Copilot, in addition to “training to support effective and responsible use”.
The University describes the partnership as a “landmark agreement”, stating that it will “support learning, research and professional work, and graduate employability” by allowing all students, regardless of their background, access to the same digital tools.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Ivison, acknowledged that “AI is now part of everyday life” and stated that, “by embracing the AI transformation early, [the University is] working with students, colleagues and partners to maximise the benefits [of AI] and manage risks responsibly”.
A 2025 report by the Higher Education Policy Institute found that 92% of students admitted to using AI tools in their academic work. However, talking to students about the partnership suggests that views on campus about AI and its place in universities are mixed.
One student, studying a Master’s in Cyber Security, told The Mancunion that he was “really excited” about the new partnership, but highlighted that “we should be cautious in how we use AI”. He noted that it is particularly important that students are responsible when using AI in academic work due to the risk of malpractice.
First-year biochemistry students, Edith and Samira, also highlighted the benefits of using AI when “you use it appropriately”. Edith also suggested that the new partnership is “probably a good thing in terms of allowing people to use better sources of AI.”
Both students expressed concerns around the risks of overuse of AI tools – ideas which were similarly echoed by first-year BSc Education student, Amber, who said that while she’s “always been a big fan of AI”, over-reliance is a major concern for her.
The University’s current policy is that students should declare any use of AI in submitted work and explain its role. Submitting work created by AI as their own is deemed as plagiarism and, if detected, will be dealt with in accordance with the University’s Academic Malpractice Procedure.
However, the University also acknowledges that tools to detect AI-generated content are unreliable and biased. Output from these tools cannot currently be used as evidence of malpractice.
Academic integrity was also an issue for students with regard to the new partnership and the widespread use of AI at university. “University is built on integrity and integrity of work, and what kind of integrity of work is there when it’s done by a robot, or work by a robot?”, questioned Hale, a second-year Classical Studies student.
Polly, a final year History and Politics student, told The Mancunion that they fear that AI is “taking the creativity out” of humanities degrees. Like Claudia, a first-year Film Studies & Linguistics student, Polly is more understanding of the use of AI in STEM degrees, but believes AI is “a curse” in the humanities.
Beyond fears of normalising the use of AI in academic work, students also raised concerns regarding the ethics of the University’s partnership with Microsoft. Jurek, a second-year Drama and Film student, told The Mancunion that he believed the partnership to be “quite a bad idea, as obviously the University hasn’t had the greatest track record of partnerships in the past.”
In October 2025, the University of Manchester Students’ Union voted by a 94% majority in favour of urging the University to end its partnership with Tel Aviv University (TAU). Following the first protest since the motion calling for the partnership to be terminated in December, Duncan Ivison confirmed to The Mancunion that “the University’s governing bodies, including the Senate, have voted against ending the partnership with TAU,” referring to the partnership as “academic in nature.”
Marcus, studying a Master’s in Film Studies, shared a similar view, describing the new partnership as the University “accept[ing] defeat to this software and system created by an awful company”.
The environmental impact of AI was also stated as a reason for apprehension with regard to the new partnership. Sofia, a final year Spanish and French student, described the new agreement as “hypocritical” when considering that the University is “pro-social responsibility” and aims to be net zero by 2050. She suggested that “there’s so many other things that [the University] could be focusing on helping students”, rather than the partnership.
A spokesperson from the University of Manchester said:
“The University of Manchester is giving its entire community of staff and students access to Microsoft Copilot, alongside training in how to use it effectively and responsibly. By doing so, Manchester graduates will be well prepared for the modern workplace, and all will get this opportunity – not just those who can afford to access it privately”.
They also added that “there is no question of any interference with academic freedom that is a fundamental value of our University. Around 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft 365 Copilot, so it is important that students are trained in the tools they will encounter when they graduate. The University chose Microsoft in part because of its public sustainability commitments: carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030″.
The University emphasised that AI “can never replace” the mix of perspectives and societal progress brought by people from “different backgrounds, cultures and disciplines”.
