Ask WashU

The document assistant in the WashU Ask works by letting you upload or reference files (like PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets), then using the selected model to read, interpret, and act on the content. Behind the scenes, the app extracts text from the document, sends the relevant portions to the language model, and the model can then summarize, search, rewrite sections, answer questions about the content, generate outlines, or help create new documents based on what it learned. It essentially turns your file into an interactive conversation: you ask questions, and the assistant pulls the answers directly from your document while keeping context through the chat.

The Infosec Navigator works by letting you bring WashU Information Security policies, standards, and guidelines into a chat and then using the model to interpret, explain, and apply them. When you upload or reference a policy, the assistant extracts and analyzes the text, allowing you to ask questions, request clarifications, generate summaries, draft new policy language, compare documents, or check alignment with frameworks—all through natural conversation.

Navigators group data for particular user-focused searches (Student, Staff, IT Services) and are currently experimental – enable them in your settings under Feature Visibility. InfoSec Assistant is in beta and actively being tested and validated.

Use this section to provide information about yourself that Ask WashU should take into consideration and details you’d prefer it emphasize when responding. This is your chance to let Ask WashU know how you prefer to experience it!

Within this section, you can adjust the overall font size, color theme and various accessibility settings.

Prompt Templates is your chance to jump‑start conversations with ready‑made ideas. Whether you need inspiration, a faster way to get started, or guidance on what to ask, Prompts provides curated suggestions tailored to common tasks and campus needs. Just choose a prompt, customize it if you like, and Ask WashU will take it from there—making it easier than ever to begin a project, explore a topic, or solve a problem with confidence.

Within this section, you can control options such as how long should chats be retained and whether you want to experience only the most stable features (production) or whether you want to experiment with features still under development & refinement (beta or experimental).

Experimental mode gives you access to very early, unpolished features that may change or break, while beta mode offers more stable, nearly finished features that are being tested before full release. 

Having both experimental and beta environments gives you the best of both worlds: experimental mode lets developers try bold, early-stage ideas without risking the stability of the main experience, while beta mode allows more polished, near-final features to be tested by a wider audience before full release. Together, they speed up innovation, improve feature quality through layered feedback, and reduce the chance of bugs or design issues making it into the final product.

Yes. Ask WashU is safe & secure, appropriate for use with data protected by HIPAA and/or FERPA.

In the normal course of operation, WashU does not monitor or read your individual chat histories. However, specific legal or administrative circumstances, such as a litigation hold or an investigation, may require access to data.

Yes. Ask WashU supports multimodal input including text, files, and code — and can work across these formats seamlessly within a single conversation.

Not at this time. Because Ask WashU operates in a safe & secure sandbox, it does not have direct access to web queries.

Yes. You can upload multiple supported file types and reference them together.

No. Data in Ask WashU is never used to train models.

Your prompts and conversations are never used to train the any of the models. The Ask WashU environment is fully HIPAA- and FERPA-compliant.

By default, Ask WashU retains chat history for 6 months. You can change this value within settings if you prefer a different retention length.