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AI is a game-changer, no doubt.
But the reality is a part of your employees are already using it in ways you don’t control.
Remember the early days ofcloud storage?
Employees, eager to share and collaborate, started using services likeGoogleDrive andiCloudwithout IT oversight.
With new technologies like AI becoming widely available, were starting to see history repeating itself.
The key is to ensure proactive management and equipping your employees with secure alternatives.
EMEA CTO at Zendesk.
Just like those early cloud adopters, employees are embracing generative AI at an explosive rate.
A survey from early 2024 shows a near doubling in adoption in just ten months.
However, this lack of oversight exposes companies to significant risks across several areas.
Cybersecurityis a major concern, as poorly managed AI usage can lead to serious data breaches.
Regulatory compliance is another critical issue.
This can lead to regulatory violations, hefty fines, and reputational damage.
Additionally, inconsistent quality is also a growing challenge.
Unauthorized AI tools often rely on unverified datasets, leading to biased or inaccurate output.
How can companies regain control?
For businesses, banning AI outright isnt practical, and ignoring it isnt an option either.
To combat the rise of Shadow AI, organizations must take several proactive steps:
1.
This policy should also set rules for data usage, compliance, and outline consequences for unauthorized AI use.
Communicating these policies early and often ensures employees understand and follow them, reducing confusion and misuse.
Implement guardrails: Establishing guardrails helps employees use AI responsibly without compromising company data.
These can include workshops,webinars, or e-learning courses to train employees on proper AI usage.
These tools must meet strong security standards and integrate smoothly into existing workflows.
Establishing clear AI usage guidelines and providing user-friendly, approved tools will also encourage responsible AI adoption across teams.
Businesses should ensure AI tools meet cybersecurity standards, such asencryptionand secure API connections.
The stakes have never been higher.
As AI evolves, organizations must prioritize clear governance and adopt secure tools to drive responsible use.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc.
