MISCELLANEA

1 . TECHNOLOGY

Surge in ‘Shadow AI’ Accounts Poses Fresh Risks to Corporate Data

The growing use of artificial intelligence in the workplace is fuelling a rapid increase in data consumption, challenging the corporate ability to safeguard sensitive data.

A report released in May from data security firm Cyberhaven, titled “The Cubicle Culprits”, sheds light on AI adoption trends and their correlation to heightened risk. Cyberhaven’s analysis drew on a dataset of usage patterns from three million workers to assess AI adoption and its implications in the corporate environment.

The Cubicle Culprits report reveals the rapid acceleration of AI adoption in the workplace and use by end users that outpaces corporate IT. This trend, in turn, fuels risky “shadow AI” accounts, including more types of sensitive company data. Products from three AI tech giants — OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft — dominate AI usage. Their products account for 96 per cent of AI usage at work.

According to the research, workers worldwide entered sensitive corporate data into AI tools, increasing by an alarming 485 per cent from March 2023 to March 2024. However, only 4.7 per cent of employees at financial firms, 2.8 per cent in pharma and life scien