Summary
Understanding why staff use unapproved AI tools is key to managing the security challenges they can create. Over the past few years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has grown rapidly in many workplaces with employees increasingly exploring how such tools can be incorporated into their jobs. AI can help people complete tasks more quickly, improve decision-making, save costs and increase productivity. However, organisations’ policies and guidance, which should reflect and manage the risks associated with using these new technologies, have not always developed at the same pace. Rather than preventing them from using AI, this can mean employees turn to using AI tools that have not been approved by their organisation, introducing new cyber security risks that can be hard to identify. Shadow AI describes the use of AI technology which isn’t captured in an organisation’s approved systems and processes.