UC San Diego AI Weekly Update

Week of May 4, 2026

What's New in Your AI Tools

TritonGPT

• TGPT Widget updates with live campus data (May 1): The TritonGPT widget on Blink now shows live parking availability and real-time busyness levels at Geisel Library. The interface has also been redesigned to make it easier to follow how the AI generates responses. Behind-the-scenes improvements were made to boost system performance and reliability.

Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection

• No major updates this week.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

• What's New in Microsoft 365 Copilot — April 2026 (April 30): This month's update includes a refreshed chat-first mobile app design, new Copilot Notebooks features like generating Word documents and PowerPoint presentations directly from notebook content, and Copilot in Excel now supporting Python for advanced data analysis. Plan mode in Excel helps you preview complex changes before they're applied. Copilot in OneNote now understands images, tables, and note tags for richer responses.

Google Gemini & NotebookLM

• Notebooks in Gemini now available (April 30): The NotebookLM integration is now live in the main Gemini app. You can create notebooks to organize chats and files for complex projects, with everything syncing between Gemini and NotebookLM. Sources you add in one app automatically appear in the other, so you can start research in Gemini and generate Video Overviews in NotebookLM without switching contexts. Rolling out to Google AI Ultra, Pro, and Plus subscribers on the web now.

TritonAI Developer API

• New model added this week: `api-llama-4-maverick` appeared in the TritonAI Developer API model hub. This is a self-hosted model with vision and reasoning capabilities, adding to the growing lineup of on-premise options for sensitive workloads.

Coming Up: Trainings & Workshops

No new live sessions are scheduled for the next two weeks. In the meantime, the TritonAI webinar series is available on demand:

• AI Webinar #6 — One Year of Innovation with TritonGPT: A look at what's changed since launch, including MyDocuments, model switching, and chat sharing.
• Everyday I AI video series: Short, practical prompting tips that work across TritonGPT and other AI tools.
• AI Foundations course (UC Learning): A self-paced intro to AI concepts and UC policy — good starting point if you're new to AI tools at work.

TritonAI News

• Students Get an Intro to AI in First AI Major Class at UC San Diego (April 28): UC San Diego launched its first course for the new AI major this spring, giving students hands-on experience with machine learning, neural networks, and real-world AI applications. The program aims to build a pipeline of AI talent for research and industry.

Week of April 27, 2026

What's New in Your AI Tools

TritonGPT

• New LLMs, UCSD Assistant tools, and search improvements (April 14): TritonGPT now offers GPT 5.4, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemini 3.1 Flash, Claude Sonnet 4.6, and Gemma 4 26b as model choices — the older OpenAI 4 Series has been retired. The UC San Diego Assistant can now look up campus parking info and check how busy locations like dining halls and libraries are. The Internet Search Assistant also got a reliability upgrade, returning more current results with fewer errors.

Zoom AI Companion

• Zoom Workplace 7.0.3: Hub tab added to mobile app (April 21): A new dedicated Hub tab is now visible in the Zoom Workplace mobile app (iOS and Android), giving you one place to find your recordings, docs, and other Zoom assets without digging through menus. The update also fixes a bug with sharing PDFs in meetings on iOS.

Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection

• Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness and Resiliency with SharePoint and M365 Backup (April 22): Microsoft published guidance on new content governance enhancements tied to SharePoint and M365 Backup — useful for IT and compliance teams managing data protection policies for Copilot deployments.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

• Anthropic Claude Opus 4.7 now available in Microsoft 365 Copilot (April 16): Claude Opus 4.7 is now available as a model choice in Copilot Chat, Copilot Studio, and rolling out to Copilot in Excel. It's designed for complex, multi-step tasks — following instructions more closely and checking its own outputs before responding. You can select it from the model picker in the Copilot app.

Google Gemini & NotebookLM

• April Gemini Drop: Notebooks integration, Mac app, and more (April 25): The April Gemini update brings NotebookLM's research and organization features directly into the main Gemini app under a new Notebooks section — so you can manage chats and research without switching between tools. The update also adds a native Mac desktop app and the ability to create personalized images using connected Google account context.

TritonAI Developer API

• New model added this week: `gpt-5.5` appeared in the TritonAI Developer API model hub since the April 23 snapshot. It supports vision, web search, and reasoning, with a 1,050,000-token context window — the first model in the hub to surface native web search capability.

Coming Up: Trainings & Workshops

No new live sessions are scheduled for the next two weeks. In the meantime, the TritonAI webinar series is available on demand:

• AI Webinar #6 — One Year of Innovation with TritonGPT: A look at what's changed since launch, including MyDocuments, model switching, and chat sharing.
• Everyday I AI video series: Short, practical prompting tips that work across TritonGPT and other AI tools.
• AI Foundations course (UC Learning): A self-paced intro to AI concepts and UC policy — good starting point if you're new to AI tools at work.

TritonAI News

• New conversational AI tool helps people decide when to seek medical care (April 21): UC San Diego researchers built an AI tool grounded in trusted clinical protocols that guides users through symptom questions and recommends whether to seek care — and when. It's aimed at reducing both unnecessary ER visits and delayed care.
• AI-enhanced microscopy produces real-time video inside live cells (April 18): A UC San Diego team combined AI with advanced microscopy to capture high-resolution, real-time video inside living cells — a breakthrough that could accelerate research in drug development and biology.

Week of April 20, 2026 — your roundup of what's new with UC San Diego's supported AI services.

What's New in Your AI Tools

TritonGPT

• New LLMs, UCSD Assistant tools, and search improvements — TritonGPT added GPT 5.4, Gemini 3.1 Pro and Flash, Claude Sonnet 4.6, and Gemma 4 26b, plus new Parking and Busyness tools in the UC San Diego Assistant and better web search in the Internet Search Assistant. For staff, that means better model choice for different tasks and more useful campus-aware answers in one place.

Zoom AI Companion

• When action catches up to ideas: the next phase of work — Zoom says AI Companion is moving beyond summaries toward follow-up work like drafting next steps, pulling context from past conversations, and updating connected systems. For staff, the practical takeaway is less post-meeting cleanup and a better chance that action items actually get carried forward.

Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection

• Microsoft 365 Copilot readiness and resiliency with SharePoint and M365 Backup/Archive — Microsoft added more controls for oversharing, site access reviews, restricted content discovery, and backup and recovery planning around Copilot-connected content. For staff, this mostly shows up as safer access to work files and fewer surprises when Copilot pulls from shared content.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

• Available today: Anthropic Claude Opus 4.7 in Microsoft 365 Copilot — Microsoft added Claude Opus 4.7 to parts of the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience, including Copilot in Excel rollout. For staff, that means another strong option for harder multi-step work when you need more careful analysis inside familiar Microsoft workflows.

Google Gemini & NotebookLM

• The Gemini app is now on Mac — Google released a native Gemini app for macOS with an Option + Space shortcut and window sharing for quick in-context help. For staff on Mac, that means faster access to summaries, drafting help, and spreadsheet support without bouncing between browser tabs.

Coming Up: Trainings & Workshops

Upcoming Events

No events are listed in the next two weeks on the current training pages. See the full training catalog for later additions.

Recent Recordings

• AI Webinar #6 - One Year of Innovation with TritonGPT: Past, Present, and Future — A practical walkthrough of TritonGPT’s first year, including MyDocuments, model switching, chat search, and chat sharing.
• AI Webinar #5 - Lean Six Sigma vs. Artificial Intelligencence — A plain-language look at where AI helps with workflow improvement and where traditional process work still matters.

TritonAI News

• AI-enhanced Microscopy Produces Crisp, Real-time Video Inside Live Cells — UC San Diego researchers combined microscopy with AI to produce clearer live-cell video in real time, which could help scientists spot changes faster instead of waiting on slower image processing.

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Week of April 13, 2026 — your roundup of what's new with UC San Diego's supported AI services.

What's New in Your AI Tools

Zoom AI Companion

• When action catches up to ideas: the next phase of work — Zoom says it is pushing AI Companion beyond meeting summaries toward follow-up work like drafting next steps, pulling context from past conversations, and teeing up actions. For UC San Diego staff, that points to less manual cleanup after meetings and fewer dropped action items.

Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection

• Latest enhancements for Copilot security, management, and analytics — Microsoft added stronger admin controls around sensitive prompts, web search, oversharing risks, and adoption analytics. For staff using Copilot with Data Protection, this matters because campus IT gets better guardrails without taking the tool away from everyday work.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

• Copilot in Word: New Capabilities for Document Workflows — Copilot in Word can now handle tracked changes, comments, tables of contents, headers, footers, and other formatting tasks directly in the document. That should make it more useful for policy drafts, reports, and other shared documents where review history and formatting matter.

Google Gemini & NotebookLM

• Try notebooks in Gemini to easily keep track of projects — Google introduced notebooks in Gemini that sync with NotebookLM, so chats, files, and project context stay together across both tools. For UC San Diego staff, that means an easier way to keep longer projects organized instead of rebuilding context every time you come back.

Coming Up: Trainings & Workshops

Upcoming Events

No events scheduled in the next two weeks. See the full training catalog for later dates.

Recent Recordings

• AI Webinar #6 - One Year of Innovation with TritonGPT: Past, Present, and Future — A walkthrough of TritonGPT's first year, including MyDocuments, model switching, chat search, chat sharing, and where the platform is headed next.
• AI Webinar #5 - Lean Six Sigma vs. Artificial Intelligencence — A practical comparison of process improvement methods and AI tools, with examples of how TritonGPT can help streamline day-to-day work.

TritonAI News

• New AI Approach Reveals Ocean Currents in Unprecedented Detail — Researchers used deep learning on existing weather satellite images to map ocean surface currents in much finer detail, which could improve climate research, search and rescue, and spill tracking.
• New Chip Design Could Boost Efficiency of Power Management in Data Centers — UC San Diego engineers developed a chip design that could help GPUs handle power conversion more efficiently, a practical step toward lower energy use in advanced computing and AI infrastructure.

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Week of April 6, 2026 — your roundup of what's new with UC San Diego's supported AI services.

What's New in Your AI Tools

Zoom AI Companion

• Enhancements to the onboarding workflow for AI Companion — Zoom’s March 24 Zoom Workplace release adds a clearer setup flow for AI Companion, including hosted meeting setup, calendar connection prompts, and summary delivery options. For UC San Diego staff, that should make it easier to get meeting summaries and related AI features turned on without hunting through settings.

Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection

• Latest enhancements for Copilot security, management, and analytics — Microsoft added stronger admin controls for sensitive prompts, oversharing cleanup, and Copilot usage reporting. That matters for staff because it supports safer day-to-day use of protected Copilot experiences while giving campus IT clearer visibility into adoption and risk.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

• Copilot in Word: New Capabilities for Document Workflows — Copilot in Word can now turn on Track Changes, work with comments, update tables of contents, and handle headers, footers, and page numbers in one flow. For staff who draft policies, contracts, reports, or committee documents, that means less cleanup after asking Copilot for help.

Google Gemini & NotebookLM

• The Gemini app can now generate interactive simulations and models. — Gemini can now turn a prompt into an interactive model or simulation inside the chat instead of only returning static text. That gives staff a faster way to explore concepts, test assumptions, or explain something visually without building slides or diagrams by hand.
• Try notebooks in Gemini to easily keep track of projects — Google added notebooks that sync between Gemini and NotebookLM, so chats, files, and source material stay organized in one place. For UC San Diego staff, this is useful for longer-running work like planning, research, training prep, or policy drafting where context needs to carry across sessions.

Coming Up: Trainings & Workshops

Upcoming Events

No events scheduled in the next two weeks. See the full training catalog for later dates.

Recent Recordings

• AI Webinar #6 - One Year of Innovation with TritonGPT: Past, Present, and Future — A practical look at TritonGPT’s first year, including MyDocuments, model switching, chat search, and chat sharing, with ideas for staying current as the tools keep changing.
• AI Webinar #5 - Lean Six Sigma vs. Artificial Intelligencence — A plain-language walkthrough of where AI helps with workflow improvement, where it does not, and how to think about using it alongside more traditional process improvement methods.

TritonAI News

• What Does It Mean To Learn With AI? — UC San Diego looks at how AI is starting to show up in teaching and learning, which is useful context for staff supporting courses, student services, or academic operations.

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