Let me ask you a slightly uncomfortable question.
Do you know which AI tools your team is using at work… and what they’re putting into them?
Most business owners I speak to think they do. And then we dig a little deeper.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini have slipped into everyday business operations incredibly fast. They’re powerful for productivity—helping teams draft emails, summarize documents, brainstorm ideas, and solve problems faster.
The trouble is, they’ve arrived so quickly that governance hasn’t kept up.
A recent report looked at how businesses are using generative AI, and the findings are eye-opening.
AI usage in organizations has surged. The number of users has tripled in just a year.
People aren’t just experimenting anymore, they’re relying on it. Prompt usage has exploded, with some businesses sending tens of thousands of prompts every month.
At the highest levels, usage reaches into the millions.
On the surface, that sounds like efficiency.
Underneath, it’s something else entirely.
Nearly half of employees using AI tools at work are doing so through personal accounts or unsanctioned apps.
This is known as “shadow AI.” It means staff are uploading text, files, and business data into systems the company doesn’t control, monitor, or secure.
That’s where the risk begins.
When someone pastes information into an AI tool, they’re not just asking a question, they’re sharing data.
Sometimes that data includes customer information, internal documents, pricing details, intellectual property, or even login credentials, often without realizing the consequences.
According to the report, incidents involving sensitive business data being shared with AI tools have doubled in the past year. The average organization now sees hundreds of these incidents every month.
And because personal AI apps operate outside of your IT environment, they’ve become a growing insider risk. Not malicious insiders, but well-meaning employees trying to work more efficiently.
This is where many small and mid-sized businesses get caught off guard. They assume cybersecurity risks come from external hackers.
In reality, it can look like an employee copying and pasting the wrong information into the wrong AI tool at the wrong time.
There’s also a compliance risk to consider.
If your business operates in a regulated industry or handles sensitive client data, uncontrolled AI usage can put you at risk of violating internal policies, data protection standards, or industry regulations—often without immediate visibility.
The warning is clear: as sensitive information flows into unapproved AI platforms, maintaining proper data governance becomes more difficult.
At the same time, cybercriminals are using AI themselves, analyzing leaked data and crafting more targeted and convincing attacks.
So, what’s the solution?
It’s not banning AI. That’s no longer realistic. And it’s not assuming it’s harmless, either.
The real solution is AI governance.
That means clearly defining which AI tools are approved for business use. Establishing policies around what data can and cannot be shared. Putting the right cybersecurity controls and monitoring in place. And making sure your team understands the risks in a practical, real-world way.
AI is already part of how modern businesses operate. Ignoring it doesn’t reduce risk.
Governing it does.
If you’re not sure how to safely manage AI use in your business, Cyberworks Managed IT Solutions can help you put the right policies, controls, and employee training in place—so you can improve productivity without putting your data at risk.
Get in touch to start building a smarter, more secure approach to AI.
