Half of all employees are using Shadow AI (i.e. non-company issued AI tools), according to a new report by Software AG.
The research goes on to show that personal AI tools are so valuable that half of workers (46%) would refuse to give them up, even if their organization banned them completely. This is a powerful signal to organizations that they need more robust and comprehensive AI strategies, to prevent inviting significant risk into their business.
Steve Ponting, Director at Software AG, commented: "If 2023 was a year of experimentation, 2024 will be defined as the year that GenAI took hold. While 75% of knowledge workers use AI today, that figure will rise to 90% in the near future because it helps to save time (83%), makes employees' jobs easier (81%) and improves productivity (71%). As usage increases, so does the risk of cyber attacks, data leakage or regulatory non-compliance. Consequently, business leaders need to have a plan in place for this before it's too late."
The survey also found that not only does AI have a day-to-day impact on individuals, but nearly half (47%) of workers believe these tools will help them to be promoted faster. This suggests a future where AI tools are wholly ingrained in many roles due to their criticality in job success.
Most knowledge workers said they use their own AI tools because they prefer their independence (53%). An additional 33% said it's because their IT team does not currently offer the tools they need. This suggests that if businesses want their employees to use officially issued tools, a different process is needed for determining which ones are actually made available.
Most employees aren't blind to the risks of their AI choices and high volumes recognize cybersecurity (72%), data governance (70%), and inaccuracy of information as potential pitfalls. However, businesses should be concerned that few employees take adequate precautions like running security scans (27%) or checking data usage policies (29%).
J-M Erlendson, Global Evangelist at Software AG, added: "There is some comfort that regular users of AI are better prepared to mitigate risks compared to occasional users. This fact alone should encourage organizations to implement more rigorous training programs, because many still don't have anything robust in place. We need this now, because the future — where 90% of workers use AI — is just around the corner and will bring more of the occasional users, which is a problem. This group is far less adept at taking risk management precautions compared to their more experienced counterparts — but they're just as likely to take the risks.
He continued, "Shadow AI is not going anywhere, but it is supercharging the operational chaos already engulfing many organizations. A transparent framework for their processes, coupled with an understanding of the tools employees want — and the training they need — are good building blocks for better incorporating Shadow AI. It's clear that AI is not going away, and, collectively, we need to address it in the right way now."
Methodology: 6,000 knowledge workers (defined as those who primarily work at a desk or computer) in the US (2,000), UK (2,000), and Germany (2,000) were surveyed between September 13-25, 2024. All respondents were 18 or older, and the sample was census-balanced by age. The survey respondents were independently sourced from RepData and the research was conducted by TEAM LEWIS.
The Latest
From the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI) to the ongoing challenges of cost optimization and security, these IT leaders are navigating a complex and rapidly evolving landscape. Here's what you should know about the top priorities shaping the year ahead ...
In the heat of the holiday online shopping rush, retailers face persistent challenges such as increased web traffic or cyber threats that can lead to high-impact outages. With profit margins under high pressure, retailers are prioritizing strategic investments to help drive business value while improving the customer experience ...
In a fast-paced industry where customer service is a priority, the opportunity to use AI to personalize products and services, revolutionize delivery channels, and effectively manage peaks in demand such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday are vast. By leveraging AI to streamline demand forecasting, optimize inventory, personalize customer interactions, and adjust pricing, retailers can have a better handle on these stress points, and deliver a seamless digital experience ...
Broad proliferation of cloud infrastructure combined with continued support for remote workers is driving increased complexity and visibility challenges for network operations teams, according to new research conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Broadcom ...
New research from ServiceNow and ThoughtLab reveals that less than 30% of banks feel their transformation efforts are meeting evolving customer digital needs. Additionally, 52% say they must revamp their strategy to counter competition from outside the sector. Adapting to these challenges isn't just about staying competitive — it's about staying in business ...
Leaders in the financial services sector are bullish on AI, with 95% of business and IT decision makers saying that AI is a top C-Suite priority, and 96% of respondents believing it provides their business a competitive advantage, according to Riverbed's Global AI and Digital Experience Survey ...
SLOs have long been a staple for DevOps teams to monitor the health of their applications and infrastructure ... Now, as digital trends have shifted, more and more teams are looking to adapt this model for the mobile environment. This, however, is not without its challenges ...
Modernizing IT infrastructure has become essential for organizations striving to remain competitive. This modernization extends beyond merely upgrading hardware or software; it involves strategically leveraging new technologies like AI and cloud computing to enhance operational efficiency, increase data accessibility, and improve the end-user experience ...
AI sure grew fast in popularity, but are AI apps any good? ... If companies are going to keep integrating AI applications into their tech stack at the rate they are, then they need to be aware of AI's limitations. More importantly, they need to evolve their testing regiment ...
If you were lucky, you found out about the massive CrowdStrike/Microsoft outage last July by reading about it over coffee. Those less fortunate were awoken hours earlier by frantic calls from work ... Whether you were directly affected or not, there's an important lesson: all organizations should be conducting in-depth reviews of testing and change management ...