Microsoft warns of the dangers of Shadow AI

"Shadow IT has plagued IT administrators for years. Employees bring their own tools into the office, whether it's a preferred device, messaging platform or an AI chatbot (like Shadow AI). These rogue users circumvent IT policies by deploying their own tech, potentially opening organizations to attacks or data leaks. According to Microsoft 71 percent of UK employees have used unapproved consumer tools at work, and 51 percent continue to do so."

"Forty-nine percent use them to draft and respond to workplace communication, 40 percent for reports and presentations, and 22 percent carry out finance-related tasks with bots. The figures tally with earlier reports concerning employees pasting information into ChatGPT, potentially putting sensitive information at risk. That report in July claimed ChatGPT was very much the tool of choice for employees. While Microsoft's research unsurprisingly extols the virtues of AI tools and the potential for productivity, Copilot wasn't namechecked."

"Microsoft is encouraging customers to BYOC - Bring Your Own Copilot - into the office to sidestep companies that don't provide AI tools to employees. Got a personal Microsoft 365 subscription with Copilot? Then bring it in. In this situation, IT are expected manage the AI assistant - because they don't have enough to do already. According to Microsoft, 32 percent of respondents are concerned about the privacy of company or customer data, yet just 29 percent are worried about IT security."

Seventy-one percent of UK employees have used unapproved consumer tools at work, and 51 percent continue to do so. Forty-nine percent use them to draft and respond to workplace communication, 40 percent for reports and presentations, and 22 percent for finance-related tasks. Shadow IT practices let employees bypass IT policies, increasing risks of attacks and data leaks. Thirty-two percent are concerned about privacy, while 29 percent worry about IT security. Forty-one percent use Shadow AI because it mirrors their personal-life tools. Encouraging employees to bring personal Copilot subscriptions creates management and security challenges for IT.

Read at Theregister