- Although they have approved tools, workers still prefer ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude
- One in ten companies add 10,000 agent or machine identities every month
- Companies must now listen to workers and treat AI as an identity
Around two in three UK organizations admit they can’t even know if their employees are sharing data via approved AI platforms, creating significant visibility blind spots.
New data from Sailpoint reveals that workers are increasingly using popular AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude despite some other tools provided, suggesting that companies are not listening to workers’ needs.
Mark McClain, CEO of Sailpoint, explained: “As the use of AI systems becomes more widespread, the situation will only spiral further out of control if organizations fail to put the appropriate safeguards in place – and this is compounded by other tools going unnoticed. »
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Shadow AI causes significant visibility gaps
It appears that 82% of companies have invested in AI and data skills and half as many (41%) are hiring for dedicated roles. However, 45% of IT leaders say they still don’t have enough information about where and how company data is shared between AI tools.
And the worst is yet to come, because as workers patronize unauthorized GenAI tools, agentic AI could further amplify the effects. Four in five people say AI agents take unintentional actions, like accessing or sharing bad data, and it’s getting to a point where up to 12% of companies are adding up to 10,000 AI agents or machine identities per month.
“Organizations need to stop the workarounds and take back control,” McClain added. “It requires a combination of skills and awareness, but it also fundamentally comes down to a challenge around identity.”
Looking ahead, there are two clear paths for businesses to contain the use of AI. First, they need to recognize the types of tools workers need and put safeguards in place for them. Second, with the rise of agentic AI, companies must treat AI as an identity problem by assigning data access controls to prevent unwarranted leaks.
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