Workday AI

AI and Workday for WSU

Workday offers an expanding variety of AI tools designed to support employees in accessing and performing tasks, increase their productivity, and assist in business-related decision making.

As more tools are gradually introduced to Workday for WSU, Modernization will provide detailed updates and support resources to assist employees in learning to use these tools on this webpage.

Latest AI news & updates

Understanding Workday AI

Workday AI tools are powered by different types of AI technology. Primarily, AI tools in Workday use either Machine Learning or Natural Language Processing. Workday AI tools are trained using WSU’s own confidential institutional data to ensure the most accurate pattern recognition and query return possible. In fact, Workday AI tools require a minimum amount of data to be processed in training before institutions may turn them on.

Agentic AI combines multiple AI models in an orchestrated, integrated way to allow a program to act autonomously within a broader environment. It uses reasoning, learning, and iterative planning to handle dynamic and multistep challenges within an organization.

Modernization will evaluate each Agentic AI tool for its potential effectiveness, value, and suitability for WSU, to ensure the AI tools we adopt support our needs.

The following tools are currently in use within Workday for WSU:

  • Expense Protect
    • Expense Protect uses machine learning to audit Expense Report records in Workday for duplicates and other errors. Reach more about how Expense Protect functions in this post.
  • Workday Assistant
    • Workday Assistant is Workday’s purpose-built chatbot and intelligent search that can help employees navigate around Workday more easily and quickly access information. Learn more about the current capabilities of Workday Assistant in this article.

WSU’s Workday processes are largely unique to our institution, and proprietary to WSU and Workday. WSU’s reference guides and Workday training materials are also proprietary and available only to individuals with a WSU Network ID. As such, external AI platforms are unable to access, and therefore generate, reliable and accurate responses regarding Workday processes at WSU.

Employees are advised to refrain from seeking guidance on WSU’s Workday processes and functionality using the following tools:

  • Copilot
  • ChatGPT and other open source generative AI platforms
  • Percipio AI

As of February 2026, employees are encouraged to continue using only the WSU Workday Knowledge Base and Service Desk to search for Workday guidance.

Data Security and AI

Sensitive data already stored in Workday may be used in queries using Workday’s in-system AI tools. Workday AI tools are not open source and information entered within the system remains confidential.

AI tools may pose a significant risk to institutional and personal data security if not used with discretion, while adhering to university data security policies.

Learn more about the responsible use of AI tools in HR, finance, and other business contexts on the HRS website. This page includes information about:

  • The types of AI tools available to WSU staff
  • Data security and risk management
  • University policies and statements on AI

Is our Workday data accessible to other WSU AI tools?

No. Workday is a closed system. This data is protected and not available to any AI tools outside of Workday. This also means that sensitive data stored in Workday is inaccessible to other AI tools, such as Copilot, and that information about Workday processes and data cannot be sourced by external platforms.

Workday AI Support

Questions or concerns about Workday AI tools and functionality? Reach out to the Modernization team via the Workday Service Desk.