Employees may use AI tools for drafting, summarizing, research, or other everyday tasks before anyone has set a company-wide process. This unofficial use, often called shadow AI, can leave leaders unsure which tools are in play, what information is being shared, or which company systems an app can access.
To manage shadow AI in the workplace, start by making it easy to disclose current use. Then set lightweight rules based on the tool and the task, and review accounts and connections on a regular schedule. The aim is not to stop useful work. It is to make adoption visible and manageable.
Start with a practical discovery exercise
Ask employees to confidentially share the AI tools and features they use for work, including tools they access through existing business software. A standalone chatbot is only one possibility: AI may also appear in writing, meeting, design, customer-support, or productivity applications.
Keep the request straightforward. Explain that the goal is to understand work practices and provide safe, useful options, not to punish people for trying a tool. Ask staff to identify the task, whether they use a work or personal account, and whether the tool connects to company files or services. Avoid asking employees to submit private prompt histories unless there is a specific, appropriate reason.
Compare responses with information the company already has and is authorized to review, such as software and identity records, expense or purchasing records, and available application or network logs. These sources may not show every use, so treat them as clues to discuss rather than proof that a particular employee has done something wrong.
Include AI features built into software the company already uses. A vendor may add or enable a new feature without employees installing a separate app, so ask about features as well as product names.
Build an AI tool inventory that is useful
A product list alone will not show what information a tool handles or what it can reach. Keep a simple register that helps the company understand the tool, its purpose, and its access. A shared spreadsheet or internal document may be enough to begin.
- Tool and account: Record the product or feature and whether employees use a company-managed or personal account.
- Business purpose: Note the task it supports, such as drafting internal material or summarizing non-sensitive information.
- Owner: Name the business contact responsible for the use and for keeping the entry current.
- Information involved: Describe the types of data entered, without copying sensitive content into the register.
- Connections and permissions: Record linked accounts, integrations, service identities, and the kinds of company data or systems the tool can access.
- Approval status and conditions: Note whether the tool or use has been approved and any limits employees need to follow.
- Next review: Set a date or recurring review point based on the use and its access.
Keep the register proportionate. If a tool is used only for low-risk work and has no connection to company systems, a brief entry may be sufficient. If it can access internal documents, customer information, or other sensitive material, record enough detail for an appropriate reviewer to understand the exposure.
Approve the use, not just the vendor
A tool’s name does not tell the whole story. Drafting a public event description with general information is different from asking the same tool to process employee records or customer data. Review both the vendor and the intended use.
A lightweight approval path can separate routine uses from uses that need closer attention:
- Defined low-risk tasks: Allow them under baseline rules, such as using approved accounts and checking AI-generated work before relying on it.
- Uses involving sensitive information or external-facing content: Ask for a short review of the data, tool settings, and human review process.
- Uses that affect people, customers, or important decisions: Escalate for a more careful business and security review before proceeding.
Decide who can approve each type of use and give employees a simple way to ask. A short form or designated contact can capture the tool, task, data involved, and requested connections. For general small-business AI considerations, see Australian government guidance on artificial intelligence.
Separate approval of the tool from approval of each use. A company may accept a product for one task but restrict another use until data handling, account settings, or system permissions have been reviewed.
Make the rules clear and workable
An AI acceptable use policy should tell employees what they can do, what requires approval, and where to get help. Keep it practical enough that staff can follow it during ordinary work.
For public or otherwise unapproved AI tools, tell employees not to enter information their organization treats as confidential or sensitive. That may include passwords and credentials, personal information, customer or employee records, confidential contracts, internal financial details, or nonpublic business plans. The company should define its own information categories and approved exceptions rather than relying on vague warnings.
Also explain that employees should check AI-generated material before sharing or using it, avoid connecting tools to company accounts without approval, and report unexpected access or data sharing promptly. A related overview of company information and public AI tools can help inform internal guidance.
If employees are already using unofficial tools, ask why. They may be trying to solve a real workflow problem, or an approved option may be difficult to access. Offer a clear route to request an alternative. A blanket ban without a practical path for legitimate needs can drive use out of sight instead of making it safer.
Review access and connections regularly
An AI access review is more than checking who has an account. Review tool owners and users, the account used, connected services, permissions, and any service identities or integrations. Confirm that the access still supports a current business need.
Set a recurring review schedule that reflects the sensitivity of the use and the level of access. Revisit entries when a tool changes, a new integration is requested, an employee changes roles, or someone leaves the company. Remove accounts, connections, and permissions that are no longer needed, and update the inventory when approvals or conditions change.
For connected applications, check what data they can read or change and whether that scope can be narrowed. Good small-business cybersecurity practices can support broader account and access hygiene. Monitoring and inventory are also related, but monitoring does not replace a clear approval process or an up-to-date record of integrations.
If an AI tool is already connected to company data
First, establish what account or integration is involved and what permissions it has. If the connection is not approved or appears broader than needed, follow the company’s incident and access procedures to pause or revoke it while the situation is assessed.
Check which systems and types of information the tool could access, whether any information was shared, and whether credentials or tokens need attention. Record what was found, involve the appropriate IT or security contact, and follow the company’s process for deciding whether other stakeholders need to be informed. Avoid assuming that deleting an app alone has removed its access; verify the connected account and permissions as well.
Frequently asked questions
How can a company find out which AI tools employees are using?
Invite confidential disclosure, ask about AI features inside existing software, and compare responses with authorized software, identity, and expense records. Treat records as leads for clarification, not as a complete picture.
Should employees get approval before using a new AI tool for work?
Set baseline rules for clearly defined low-risk tasks and require a short review when sensitive data, external-facing work, or company-system connections are involved. Escalate uses that can affect people or important decisions.
What should an AI tool inventory include?
Record the tool and account, purpose, owner, types of information involved, connected systems and permissions, approval status, conditions, and next review point.
How often should a business review AI access?
Choose a recurring schedule that reflects risk, and review access sooner when a tool, integration, employee role, or business need changes.
How can a company encourage employees to report unofficial AI use?
Make disclosure confidential and non-punitive, explain that the goal is safer and more useful work, and give staff a simple way to request an approved alternative.
Make AI use visible without slowing useful work
Shadow AI is easier to manage when employees can report what they use, leaders can see the tools and connections involved, and approvals match the risk of each task. Start with a simple inventory, make the rules easy to understand, and keep access reviews part of normal IT hygiene.
Zevonix provides proactive IT management and technology services, including 24/7 monitoring and support. If your company wants help reviewing its IT environment and access practices, contact Zevonix to discuss a practical next step.