Shadow AI: Why Employees Are Quietly Adopting AI and What Leaders Should Do About It

AI is already in your business - even if you haven’t rolledout a formal strategy.

In her latest article for Forbes Technology Council, Evaila founder Emily Lewis-Pinnell explores a rapidly growing workplace trend: Shadow AI, or the use of AI tools by employees without organizational approval or oversight.

According to recent research, nearly half of U.S. workers are already using AI at work without telling their employer. Many are even paying for the tools themselves. This quiet, bottom-up adoption is changing how work gets done but often without the visibility or support of leadership.

Shadow AI can lead to security issues and data leakage, meaning that leaders need to acknowledge the reality, but it is also an opportunity to co-create practical guardrails, and scale what’s working. Shadow AI isn’t just a risk; it’s a signal that your workforce is ready to innovate. The question is whether leadership is ready to guide that innovation with clarity, support, and a focus on impact.

At Evalia, we help organizations move from fragmented AI useto coordinated, value-driven adoption through AI readiness, adoption planning,and implementation services that align people, processes, and platforms.

Demystifying AI. Delivering Results.

Read the full article on Forbes: Shadow AI in the Workplace: Turning Hidden AI Use Into aStrategic Advantage

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