Shadow AI is Change Readiness Problem
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Do you know what Shadow IT is?
That's when employees bypass the official tools of the organization and use unsanctioned apps and software on their own (think, employees using WhatsApp or Slack groups for work communications when the official tool is Teams).
Then there's Shadow AI.
According to the TELUS Digital Experience survey:
68% of employees use personal accounts to access free AI tools at work.
57% of employees admit to inputting confidential or sensitive company data into publicly available AI tools.
Meanwhile, The Register reported that more than two-thirds of corporate executives admit they've also violated their own AI usage policies.
Most leaders see Shadow IT and Shadow AI as a compliance problem. I see something else. It's often a change readiness problem.
People rarely adopt unofficial tools because they're trying to sabotage the organization. They adopt them because they're trying to remove friction, save time, hit deadlines, or you know...be more productive.
When the "right" process feels slower than the unofficial one, people vote with their behavior. This isn't an excuse - see it as a signal instead.
Those unauthorized apps, spreadsheets, and AI prompts should be feedback about where your systems, processes, communication, and/or training aren't meeting the needs of the people expected to use them. Policies alone won't solve Shadow AI, and neither will blocking websites.
I don't think asking, "How do we stop people from using AI?" is the right question. Perhaps you should be asking, "Why do people feel they have to go around us in the first place?"
My last thought. Change readiness isn't measured by whether people follow the process. It's revealed by the workarounds they create when the process doesn't work for them.
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