Here’s what’s happening in most workplaces today: people are already using AI. Surveys show that three-quarters of knowledge workers are experimenting with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, and almost 80% of them are bringing their own tools to work, without oversight, training, or alignment.
That means customer emails, proposals, reports, even decision-support tasks might already be shaped by untrained AI assistants that know nothing about your business, values, or standards. Think about that for a second: it’s the equivalent of every employee secretly hiring an outside consultant who’s never been briefed on your company. Would you allow that?
Most leaders wouldn’t; but it’s happening anyway.
The Problem with Shadow AI
When your team uses AI without training or alignment, you create risks:
- Inconsistent voice and tone: Customers get responses that don’t sound like you.
- Data security issues: Sensitive information gets copied into tools without oversight.
- Misinformation: Employees trust outputs without knowing how to verify them.
- Lost productivity: Instead of building capability, people spend time copy-pasting “magic prompts” they found online.
It’s not that your people don’t want to use AI well, it’s that they don’t know how.
Upskilling is the Fix
The fastest way to turn AI from a risk into an asset is to get your team aligned on the basics. Not everyone needs to become an AI engineer. But everyone should know how to:
- Use AI safely and responsibly (what to share, what not to share).
- Apply AI for everyday tasks like research, drafting, and analysis.
- Train AI with your tone, values, and processes so it sounds and works like you.
- Spot errors and add human judgment, instead of blindly trusting outputs.
When a whole team shares this foundation, three things happen:
- Risk goes down — no more shadow AI, no more rogue outputs.
- Consistency goes up — every message, report, or response aligns with your brand.
- Productivity multiplies — instead of dabbling, your team uses AI to actually save time and create value.
From Fear to Confidence
Banning AI just isn’t realistic, employees are using it anyway. The real choice is between a team fumbling around in the shadows, or a team using AI in a safe, aligned, and productive way.
Upskilling flips the script. It turns AI from a threat you can’t control into a capability your team owns with confidence. And when everyone’s pulling in the same direction, you don’t just reduce risk, you unlock the real benefits of AI at scale.
Closing Thought
AI is here whether you’re ready or not. The businesses that thrive won’t be the ones with a single “AI champion.” They’ll be the ones where everyone is trained, aligned, and pulling in the same direction.
Don’t leave AI use to chance. Get your team upskilled, and you’ll turn today’s biggest workplace risk into tomorrow’s competitive advantage.
Cheers,
Adam Walsh
Founder – Bizualize