UW-Madison Google Workspace - Gemini App

Google Gemini is a large language model designed to engage in informative and comprehensive interactions and answer a wide range of questions and prompts. With access to a massive and varied dataset, Gemini can provide detailed explanations, generate creative text, and even assist with tasks like writing emails or code. Gemini’s ability to understand and respond to natural language makes it a versatile tool.

Note: When using Google Gemini in a higher education setting through Google Workspace for Education, your data is not used to train AI models. This applies to UW-Madison Google Workspace accounts. Google specifically states that data from education users is protected and not used to improve the underlying AI models beyond the specific user session.Learn more.

Eligibility

Current UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students.

Login to Gemini Chat

Your UW-Madison Google Workspace account has access to the Google Gemini chat web app only. Access to Gemini Education add-ons is not available at this time.

You can start using the Google Gemini chat web app by logging in with your NetID credentials* at http://gemini.google.com/app. Gemini chat can be used to:

  • Provide personalized explanations, examples, and practice problems, ensuring that each student receives the support they need.
  • Help students with research by providing summaries of articles, identify relevant sources, and even generate citations.
  • Assist with language learning by providing translations, explanations of grammar rules, and opportunities for practice.
  • And more.

*Note: If you are prompted to enter an email address upon login, please enter your netid@wisc.edu address. This will redirect you to the NetID login page. 

Google Gemini AI features and services

Gemini Canvas is a new interactive workspace within the Gemini app that allows users to create, edit, and share documents and code in real-time. It's designed to make creating and refining your work easier by providing a space where you can collaborate with Gemini AI. 

Google's Gemini LLM is used in many different Google applications for various purposes. You may see it being used in pretty much any Google Workspace application, but you'll primarily interact with the Google Gemini web app, which has a few different services and language models.

There are three language models available in the educational version of Google Gemini:

  1. Gemini 2.0 Flash
    • 2.0 Flash is the most basic model of Google Gemini. It can produce answers very quickly to simple questions. It is not as in-depth or accurate as the other models, but it can produce text and image responses to a large variety of questions.
  2. Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental)
    • 2.5 Pro is a step up from 2.0 Flash, as it can perform more complex tasks and more in-depth reasoning. 2.5 Pro is better for tasks that require enhanced reasoning, such as coding or mathematics. It also has the ability to "think" through its answers to ensure their accuracy. NOTE: There is still no guarantee that Gemini will generate a correct answer. Fact-check anything you receive from Gemini.
  3. Deep Research with 2.5 Pro
    1. Deep Research is a specifically tasked version of Gemini, based on 2.5 Pro, that is intended to help outline research processes and complete research if asked. It will explain its research process and where it gathers its information, so it can be fact-checked. Especially helpful for in-depth and time-consuming research. Make sure to check the sources Deep Research uses, as it is not guaranteed to use reputable sources.

Gemini also has "Gems," which are essentially specifically tasked personalities of Gemini, whose behaviors change based on the selected AI model. You can make your own, but there are also several pre-made Google Gems:

  1. Chess Champ:
    • This Gem is geared toward playing Chess. It can take prompts involving Chess notation, with minimal other interactions outside of Chess and Chess prompts.
  2. Brainstormer
    • This Gem is geared toward helping inspire you or helping you to think of ideas and plans. 
  3. Career Guide
    • This Gem is geared toward helping you plan your career or providing you with career and skills guidance.
  4. Coding Partner
    • This Gem is geared toward helping you code and work on different coding projects. Please keep in mind UW Generative AI policies when using this tool
  5. Learning Coach
    • This Gem is geared toward helping you learn and practice skills and concepts, with an AI-based coach.
  6. Writing Editor
    • This Gem is geared toward helping you edit your writing with constructive feedback and helpful tips to improve your written works. Please keep in mind UW Generative AI policies when using this tool

Keep in mind:. 

  • Google Gemini will not be 100% accurate every time and should be fact-checked for any information used for important purposes.
  • Never enter sensitive or restricted data into Gemini chat.
  • Only Gemini 2.0 Flash and 2.5 Pro language models are available on the Android and iOS Google Gemini application.
  • You are responsible for following UW–Madison and Universities of Wisconsin policies when using Gemini and other generative AI services.

Resources: 


Keywords:
uw madison google workspace for education gemini ai artificial intelligence non-core chat llm large language model 
Doc ID:
144080
Owned by:
UW-Madison Google Workspace in UW Google Apps
Created:
2024-10-25
Updated:
2025-04-18
Sites:
DoIT Help Desk, Google Apps