- Three out of five workers say they use not approved (shadow) AI tools
- Execs and senior leaders are the worst guilty
- Workers are missing the right tools or policies
New research has demanded three out of five (59%) workers say they are using AI tools that are not approved by their company – otherwise known as Shadow AI.
Even worse is that 75% of those who use Shadow AI admit to share sensitive data that can jeopardize their businesses and 57% of these employees’ direct managers support the use of non -approved AI, the figures from Cygenerws say.
That’s because it’s actually executors and senior leaders who are most likely to use Shadow AI tools (93%), with managers (73%) and professionals (62%) less likely to do so.
Shadow AI is a major concern for organizations
Among the most commonly shared sensitive information is employee data (35%), customer data (32%), internal documents (27%), legal and financial information (21%), security -related information (21%) and proprietary code (20%), and this is despite most (89%) workers connecting AI with risks.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) recognize that data violations may be the result of shade AI use, but while 57% agree that they would stop using non-approved tools if a data violation occurred, only a few preventative measures are taking today.
“When sensitive data enters an unsecured AI tool, you lose control. It can be stored, reused or exposed in ways you never want to know about,” explained Nexos.ai product Žilvinas girėnas.
Although companies are trying to get a grip on Shadow AI use, a quarter (23%) still has no official AI policy at all. Similarly, only half (52%) of employers offer approved AI tools for work, and only one in three workers sees these as meeting their needs.
Obviously, it is in companies to implement more robust policies and offer the right type of tools that meet their workers’ needs – not just generic.
“Companies need to investigate ways to incorporate AI into their processes safely, effectively and responsibly,” Cygenerws Security researcher Manta’s Sabeckis completed.
