Shadow AI
Shadow AI is when employees use unauthorized AI tools to do their work without the company's knowledge, which is like sneaking unvetted software into the office that could accidentally share private company secrets with outsiders.
Shadow AI refers to the deployment or utilization of AI applications and large language models by staff without formal IT or security approval, bypassing established governance frameworks and creating significant blind spots regarding data privacy, regulatory compliance, and third-party vendor risk.
Shadow AI denotes the proliferation of unauthorized AI-driven systems and models within an enterprise environment, operating outside the purview of centralized IT and security oversight. This phenomenon introduces systemic vulnerabilities, including unauthorized data exfiltration, non-compliance with data protection mandates (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and unmanaged supply-chain risks stemming from opaque third-party model provenance and data processing practices.
evolution
- 2022-11 · historyChatGPT Launch
The public release of ChatGPT triggers widespread, unmanaged adoption of generative AI tools by employees across corporate environments.
- 2023-05 · historySamsung Data Leak Incident
Samsung bans internal use of generative AI after employees inadvertently uploaded sensitive source code and meeting notes to ChatGPT.
- 2023-09 · historyFormalization of Shadow AI
Industry analysts and cybersecurity firms begin explicitly using the term 'Shadow AI' to categorize unauthorized AI usage as a distinct enterprise risk.
- 2024-02 · historyEnterprise Governance Shift
Major security frameworks and compliance standards begin incorporating specific controls to detect and mitigate Shadow AI as a standard IT security requirement.