Impy: the Success Guide Chatbot

IMPY is an Imperial chatbot designed to support students with study-related queries. Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-5 nano and trained on the Imperial Success Guide, it aims to help students with general university information, study advice and finding resources. 

When you type a question, the chatbot analyses your request using natural-language understanding and then generates a helpful reply by surfacing relevant advice and resources from the Success Guide. This means IMPY can quickly share study tips and general academic advice tailored to your specific question. 

IMPY was developed as part of a StudentShapers project within the Imperial Student Experience Project, bringing together student partners with colleagues from the Education Office and the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship to explore how AI tools can support students in navigating university support and resources. 

The best questions to ask IMPY are those related to general tips and information about studying at Imperial, which is what the Success Guide specialises in. You can think of IMPY as an AI-powered search tool, sifting through the guide to find relevant information for your specific enquiry.  

If you are unsure what to ask, you can try one of the example prompts provided in the chat interface, such as Hello IMPY, Top tips and Writing advice. Click on them to see IMPY in action! 

Tips for asking good questions 

You will often get the most helpful responses when your question includes a bit of context and detail. For example, you might include:  

• The type of advice you are looking for (e.g., study tips, resources, workshops and support).  

• The format you would like the answer in (e.g., a short list of tips)  

For example, instead of asking: ‘How do I take notes?’ You could ask: ‘I’m a first-year undergraduate attending fast-paced lectures. What are three effective note-taking strategies and any apps that might help?’ Adding context helps IMPY generate more relevant and tailored suggestions. 

IMPY is designed to help students access general guidance and resources related to studying and student life at Imperial. However, IMPY has some limitations. For example: 

• It may occasionally produce incomplete or inaccurate information. It is important to verify information where appropriate. 

• It should not be used for confidential or sensitive matters.  

• It cannot replace advice from personal tutors, departmental staff or professional services. For important decisions or personal matters, students should contact their departmental staff or relevant support services. 

Like any AI tool, IMPY should be used thoughtfully and responsibly.  

• Always check important information using official Imperial webpages or trusted sources.  

• Do not submit AI-generated text as your own work unless permitted by your department and properly acknowledged.  

• Avoid sharing personal, confidential or sensitive information when using the chatbot. 

IMPY is best used as a starting point for exploring resources and ideas, helping you navigate the wide range of support available at Imperial.  

The chatbot operates within Microsoft Azure, and no user data is sent outside this environment. Through dAIsy (Imperial’s AI platform used to create IMPY), the information collected mainly relates to token usage or essentially an anonymised measure of the model’s usage. Users should still exercise caution when sharing information and avoid disclosing personal, confidential or sensitive details. 

This IMPY handbook provides a short introduction to the Imperial Success Guide chatbot and how it can support students’ learning at Imperial. It outlines what IMPY is, what it can help with, and offers practical guidance on writing effective prompts, using the chatbot responsibly and verifying information when using generative AI tools.