- KnowBe4 finds that 55% of UK workers admit to using unapproved AI tools
- Only 16% believe they are effectively managing safe AI
- 27% complement corporate AI with more appropriate tools
More than half (55%) of UK employees admit to using unapproved AI tools at work, and up to one in 10 knowingly share sensitive company information with these unauthorized tools, new research warns.
KnowBe4’s new report aims to define shadow AI as unapproved AI, not under-the-radar AI use, because the number of UK cybersecurity decision-makers who identify shadow AI as the biggest risk is almost equal (58%), meaning they are well aware of the challenges.
However, it appears that little is being done, because only 16% believe their organization is effective in managing the safe use of AI at this time.
Shadow AI is an ongoing challenge
Nearly half (46%) have implemented goals to improve AI agent security over the next 12 months, but with one in five (19%) already reporting that AI agents take autonomous action across multiple workflows with limited human oversight, the risks remain clear.
“UK businesses are embracing AI to boost productivity [but] “Many employees are still under pressure, using unapproved tools, and regularly facing (and fearing) sophisticated threats like deepfakes and phishing,” wrote Senior CISO Javvad Malik.
Shadow AI doesn’t necessarily mean that employees are turning their backs on enterprise-grade tools: 27% admit that they occasionally get their own tools in addition to those given to them, indicating that companies are not providing the right tools that workers need.
So while regulating the use of AI with clearly defined policies is an area for improvement, simply providing workers with the tools they demand could go a long way toward reducing the impact of shadow AI on any organization.
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