- AI tools are used in workplaces without permission
- The tools pose threats to business and customer data if they cannot be sent
- Another wave of shade Ai blooms in the UK
Shadow AI tools or AI tools that employees use without the permission of their business presents a number of security risks for organizations.
But it does not prevent employees from using unsigned AI tools in the pursuit of meeting quotas, goals and deadlines.
New research from Microsoft has found that the United Kingdom has seen a significant increase in the use of Shadow AI, with 71% of British employees using an unskilled AI tool at least once and over half (51%) continues to make it week a week.
The next wave of shade ai
No one denies that generative AI tools offer significant time savings and productivity increases for businesses, but if companies do not invest in tools and supply the environment to them to be used, employees often take the initiative. For example, Microsoft found that 28% of employees are not provided with a work-approved AI tool.
From writing emails and responding to internal communication, AI tools are excellent to transforming what can be an angry running lecture to a well-rounded and company-approved expression of concern. In fact, Microsoft’s research found that 49% of respondents use AI tools for this particular purpose.
Secondly, AI tools are used to prepare reports and presentations (40%) and to help with financial -related tasks (22%). However, many employees are not aware of the risk of using AI tools without business approval.
Only 32% expressed concern for corporate and customer data that were brought into AI tools, and worries only had 29% any concern about the use of Shadow AI affecting IT security in their workplace.
If customer or company data is entered in an AI tool without being disinfected, the requests it were included in could be reused to train AI further and potentially spit back to dishonest actors with smartly designed prompt.
However, confidence in AI tools is increasing, with 57% of employees expressing positive feelings around AI in the workplace. More and more companies are developing AI strategies with the benefits of both companies and employees.
“The British workers embrace AI like never before and unlock new levels of productivity and creativity. But enthusiasm alone is not enough,” says Darren Hardman, CEO Microsoft UK & Ireland.
“Companies must ensure that the AI tools in use are built for the workplace not only the living room. The message is clear: Only AIA I deliver the functionality that employees want, wrapped in privacy and security that any organization requires.”
