AI is everywhere, and growing fast
Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference in San Francisco was dominated by AI, from Copilot in Microsoft 365 to advanced automation in Azure. AI is becoming part of everyday tools. That brings productivity gains, and new risks that many organisations are not prepared for.
One of the most pressing is shadow AI.
What is shadow AI?
Shadow AI is employees using AI tools without organisational oversight or approval. It’s the AI equivalent of shadow IT, except now the stakes are higher because AI tools can:
- Process sensitive business data
- Generate outputs that influence decisions
- Store or transmit intellectual property outside your control
Why shadow AI is a growing problem
AI adoption is accelerating faster than governance frameworks. Employees are curious, and tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI assistants are just a click away. Without clear policies, staff may:
- Paste confidential data into public AI tools
- Use AI-generated content without validation
- Introduce compliance and security risks unknowingly
It’s just as easy as performing a Google search: load the page, pop in your question, and the AI agent responds.
I have seen examples, and indeed marketing, with prompts like “Rephrase this email so it’s more professional” or “Shorten this text”. People are using AI as a proofreader. How many of them know that, by default, any conversation with ChatGPT is saved to train future AI models unless they opt out?
The risks you cannot ignore
Data leakage
Sensitive information shared with external AI services can leave your organisation vulnerable.
Compliance violations
AI use without governance can breach GDPR or industry-specific regulations.
Reputation damage
Incorrect or biased AI outputs can lead to poor decisions or public embarrassment.
What should you do?
Educate your workforce
Train employees on safe AI practices. Make it clear what data can and cannot be shared.
Create AI usage policies
Define approved tools and outline acceptable use cases. Include guidance on data handling.
Monitor and govern AI usage
Use tools that track AI use, so shadow AI does not become a security blind spot.
Some tools can restrict access to popular AI tools until certain privacy settings are in place.
To find out how Odyssey can help prevent shadow AI, call us on 01642 661888.