Shadow AI: the new security challenge facing companies
The uncontrolled use of artificial intelligence tools is beginning to resemble the old shadow IT, but with new risks regarding data and intellectual property.
News summary
Generative artificial intelligence has integrated into daily workflows at a speed difficult to compare with other business technologies. Employees in sales, technical, finance, or HR departments use AI assistants to summarise documents, draft emails, analyse information, or generate code. The benefit can be enormous, but a new problem is also emerging: shadow AI.
The term describes the use of artificial intelligence tools without the organisation’s knowledge or approval. The primary risk lies not in the technology itself, but in the information entered into it. A contract, a client list, a snippet of code, or a financial forecast could end up being processed outside the systems controlled by the company.
Blocking all tools is often unrealistic and can push usage towards even less visible channels. The most effective trend is defining authorised alternatives, establishing simple rules on what data can be used, and providing practical training. It is also useful to distinguish between personal and corporate accounts and to activate, where possible, enterprise privacy and retention settings.
Another key point is the control of integrations. AI assistants connected to email, storage, or collaboration platforms can access large volumes of information. Before deploying them, it is advisable to review permissions, scope, activity logs, and revocation mechanisms.
AI can improve productivity without becoming a security hole. This requires understandable policies and controls that are proportionate to the risk.
A useful measure is creating a shortlist of permitted and prohibited uses, accompanied by real company examples. “You may summarise public documentation” is easier to apply than a twenty-page policy. It is also advisable to provide a channel for requesting new AI tools, so that innovation and control do not compete with each other.
What is changing
Generative AI has become part of daily work at a pace hard to match with other business technologies. Employees across departments use AI assistants to summarise documents, draft emails or generate code, and with that comes shadow AI: the use of these tools without the organisation's knowledge or approval.
The main risk lies not in the technology itself but in the information fed into it: a contract, a customer list or a financial forecast can end up processed outside systems the company controls.
What it teaches a mid-sized business
Blocking every tool is usually unrealistic and can push usage towards even less visible channels. It is more effective to define approved alternatives, set simple rules on what data can be used, and offer practical training, distinguishing personal from corporate accounts.
Another key point is controlling integrations: AI assistants connected to email or storage can access large volumes of information, so permissions, scope and revocation mechanisms should be reviewed before deployment.
What to review
Practical measures to manage shadow AI without slowing productivity:
- A short, concrete list of allowed and forbidden AI uses, with real examples from the company.
- Which AI tools employees actually use, whether approved or not.
- Permissions and scope of AI assistants connected to email or collaboration platforms.
- A channel for requesting new AI tools, so innovation and control do not compete.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What exactly is shadow AI?
- The use of artificial intelligence tools by employees without the organisation's knowledge or approval.
- Is banning these tools enough?
- It usually doesn't work: blanket blocking pushes usage towards less visible, harder-to-control channels.
- Which measure gives the best results for the least effort?
- A short list of allowed and forbidden uses, with concrete examples from the company itself, alongside approved alternatives.
Concepts mentioned in this article: Storage · Retention
Seintec can help you organise the use of artificial intelligence in your company, define approved tools, and protect the information that moves between users, applications, and cloud services. Contact us to design a secure and practical approach.
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