ModelRefs / Shadow AI — AI Glossary
Shadow AI — AI Glossary
Unauthorized use of AI tools by employees outside of official IT governance, procurement, and security review processes.
Overview
Shadow AI mirrors shadow IT: employees using ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot on personal accounts for work tasks, bypassing corporate data governance. Risks: sensitive data sent to third-party LLM APIs, no visibility into data retention, no corporate SSO or audit trail. Addressed by deploying sanctioned AI tools with monitoring and acceptable-use policies.
Reference details
| Topic | safety |
|---|---|
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-24 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is Shadow AI?
Unauthorized use of AI tools by employees outside of official IT governance, procurement, and security review processes.
What concepts are related to Shadow AI?
Closely related concepts include ai audit, data privacy, responsible ai.