How To Use AI

Summarizing Information

Services: Copilot, Copilot 365, ChatGPT

In order to ask the AI service to summarize information, use the following format, replacing the placeholder text within the quotes with your document text. Be aware, though, that many services have a character limit on what can be entered into the prompt.

Document: "TEXT TO SUMMARIZE HERE"
Summarize the document above.

Some services, such as Microsoft Copilot, will allow you to circumvent this limitation by attaching a document that you would like to summarize. Look for a paperclip icon within the area where you would enter the prompt to see if your AI service has this option. If you are able to attach a document, your prompt should look similar to this:

Summarize the attached document.

Instead of providing a document, you can also ask the AI service to summarize the information on a webpage if you provide the link. Try copying the prompt below, and replacing the link with one of your choosing.

Summarize the information at the following link: 
https://www.byu.edu/about

The information provided by the AI service can also be provided in a format of your choosing. In order to format the output as a table, try using the following prompt:

Summarize the following link: 'https://www.byu.edu/about'.
Provide your response as a table.

Here is an example of what the output looks like when entered into Microsoft Copilot.

The notebook feature in Microsoft Copilot is also a great tool when summarizing material. The notebook feature allows you to enter more text to be summarized than is normally allowed in the regular Copilot chat.

Find other practical ways to use GenAI with our other guides located on the right side of the page.