If you already use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot, you may be wondering: Why should I use Purple?
The short answer:
Purple brings modern AI capabilities to the UW community in a UW-supported environment. It is designed for teaching, learning, research, and everyday work, while keeping privacy, security, and institutional needs in mind.
What Makes Purple Different?
Purple stands out because it combines AI capabilities with UW-specific knowledge, support, and controls:
Purple includes a number of official agents, including one called Pure Purple, which provides answers grounded in University information through connections to approved UW resources.
Purple goes beyond chat by allowing users to create and use AI agents. Agents can be designed to perform specialized tasks, guide users through processes, answer questions from approved knowledge sources, or assist with repetitive work.
Agents can be built for individual use, shared with a limited group of users, or in some cases approved for use by the full UW community. This helps Purple support a growing ecosystem of AI-powered tools across teaching, research, and administration.
Not everyone has access to paid AI tools. Purple helps reduce the digital divide by providing the UW community with robust generative AI capabilities at no additional cost.
Purple provides access to multiple AI models in one place. Users sign in once with their UW credentials.
Data entered into Purple stays within UW’s Azure environment and is not used to train public AI models. Purple is designed to meet UW’s security and compliance needs, giving the University community a more controlled place to use generative AI for university work.
How Is Purple the Same as Other AI Tools?
Purple includes many of the features people expect from modern AI tools, including:
- Summarizing documents
- Analyzing PDFs and uploaded files
- Drafting and revising content
- Generating Word, PowerPoint, and Excel outputs
- Helping with code
- Creating images
A Better Fit for UW Work
Purple operates within the University’s privacy, security, and data protection standards. It also includes features such as:
- User-controlled chat history and deletion
- Automatic deletion of inactive chats based on the University retention period
- An Incognito mode for conversations you do not want saved
Users are still responsible for following UW policies and handling sensitive information appropriately. For more information, refer to the Responsible Use and Data Guidelines.
What to Keep in Mind
Like any generative AI tool, Purple can produce content that is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. Users still need to:
- Review outputs carefully
- Verify facts
- Use academic, professional, and operational judgment
Purple works best as a tool that supports people, not as a substitute for expertise. For more information about what Purple can do and what it cannot do, refer to Capabilities and Limitations.
Bottom Line
Purple offers many of the same AI capabilities available in public tools. What makes it different is that it provides those capabilities in a UW-supported environment designed for the needs of the University of Washington community.
For UW students, faculty, and staff, that means access to modern AI tools in a setting built to support teaching, learning, research, and everyday work.