Disclaimer for academic use: Phil is designed as a research aid, not a replacement for original analysis or academic writing. Phil draws exclusively from IBISWorld’s analyst-written reports to help users locate, summarize and reframe industry information. Students, professors and career coaches should treat Phil as a support tool, not a ghostwriter, and should always follow their institution’s academic integrity and AI use policies.
What is Phil?
Phil is a conversational, AI-driven research tool that combines the intelligence of large language models with the breadth of IBISWorld’s data and analyst-written insights. Available in more than 7,000 IBISWorld industry reports, you can ask Phil to retrieve the exact information you need on thousands of industries.
For more information on Phil, visit our comprehensive FAQ Article, which covers privacy, access, and detailed explanations of Phil's underlying AI technology.
What can I use Phil to do?
Phil takes the heavy lifting out of industry research. Use Phil to:
Find information faster: Ask Phil for the exact information you need rather than searching manually through reports. Phil’s answers always link to the relevant chapters and sections in IBISWorld reports.
Reframe report information: Organize and summarize industry data into outlines, comparative points or frameworks tailored to your research or teaching needs.
Support coursework and assignments: Students can use Phil to explore industries, find relevant data for projects and understand how real-world trends connect to academic concepts.
Enhance teaching and advising: Professors and career coaches can use Phil to build class materials, provide case study examples or prepare students with industry context for job interviews.
Explore industry impacts: Ask Phil how industries are affected by macroeconomic, consumer or technological shifts to better understand current and future challenges.
Solve research questions: Get scenario-specific answers that connect industry insights to your research or classroom focus.
Where can I find Phil?
Phil opens by default on the right-hand side of any industry report (you can turn this off under Preferences in My Account).
If Phil does not automatically appear, you can open Phil in the right-hand toolbar of any industry report.
How can Phil help students?
Students can use Phil to:
Quickly locate industry facts and figures in IBISWorld reports
Reframe data into summaries, outlines or comparative points for presentations
Explore how industries are affected by macroeconomic or social drivers
Prepare for interviews, career fairs or business presentations
Can Phil be used to write essays or assignments from scratch?
No. Phil cannot generate a full essay or assignment. Phil can only access the insights in IBISWorld’s platform, not the broader web, and thus cannot synthesize multiple sources to create a college-level essay. Moreover, Phil’s responses are capped at 1,000 words, making him unfit for crafting complete essays for students. Instead, Phil is designed to help students, professors and career services staff find, summarize and reframe industry data from IBISWorld reports. Students still need to apply their own analysis, critical thinking and academic writing.
Can professors and career coaches use Phil too?
Yes. Phil is a valuable AI tool for career advisors, librarians and other faculty. Phil can help workshop your lessons, offer supporting data points and research, and help brainstorm questions for guided discussion groups and other classroom activities.
Is there a limit to how much I can use Phil?
Yes, each academic account is allowed 1,000 questions per month. The limit resets on the first of each month. Unused questions do not roll over to the next month.
Does Phil replace traditional research skills?
No. Phil accelerates the process of finding information but does not replace critical research and evaluation. Students should use Phil to supplement, not substitute, their ability to interpret and apply data.
Does using Phil violate academic integrity or AI use policies?
Phil only pulls from IBISWorld’s licensed industry research—it does not scrape the internet or generate unverified content. Whether Phil can be used for coursework depends on each institution’s policies on AI tools. Students should check with their professors or academic integrity office before incorporating Phil into graded work.
Can I cite Phil in my academic work?
Students should cite IBISWorld reports, not Phil directly, since Phil’s answers always link back to specific report sections. See our citation article for more information on how to cite IBISWorld.
What if my university bans AI tools?
Universities vary in how they regulate AI. Since Phil only synthesizes from IBISWorld’s proprietary research (and not the open web), it is closer to a smart search assistant than a generative writing tool. Still, if your institution has strict rules against AI, you should confirm with your professor or librarian before using Phil.
Can I disable Phil for my institution?
Yes. University account administrators can request that Phil be disabled on specific licenses if needed.
How is Phil different from general-purpose AI tools like ChatGPT?
Unlike ChatGPT, which can pull from a wide range of sources, Phil is restricted to IBISWorld’s curated reports and analyst insights. This ensures students and faculty are working with reliable, citable and academically rigorous information.
Does Phil encourage plagiarism?
No. Since Phil summarizes from IBISWorld’s reports and always cites the relevant section, it functions more like a research assistant than a ghostwriter. Students should still write in their own words and follow their school’s rules on citations and AI use.