Companies worldwide face gaps in governance and controls as a result of employees using AI—with or without the permission of their IT departments.

According to a survey based on 6,000 employees around the globe, 70% of workers are using artificial intelligence at least weekly, with up to one third of those doing so without the oversight of their tech departments.

Rakshit Ghura, vice president and general manager of digital workplace solutions at Lenovo, the tech company behind the survey, says: “AI adoption is no longer the challenge. Execution is.

“Usage is growing faster than organisations can control or secure it.

“Without that control, AI introduces as much risk and cost as it does opportunity.”

Lenovo’s survey also reveals 61% of IT leaders report a rise in cybersecurity threats linked to AI, while only 31% are “confident” of their ability to manage those risks.

The survey chimes with announcements made last week by the UK government, calling on companies to sign a pledge that they have made cybersecurity a board-level responsibility.

Cybersecurity minister Baroness Lloyd of Effra, announcing the pledge, said: “The cyber threat facing UK business is serious, growing and evolving fast.

“AI is giving capabilities that would have seemed extraordinary just a year ago, and no organisation can afford to be complacent.”

Accelerating usage

AI governance has become a major source of concern for companies as implementation accelerates alongside the use of ‘shadow AI’, or informal use of the technology beyond the reach of company policies and approved usage.

Recent research from Oxford University suggests investors could play a role in ensuring AI governance is implemented.

The report says: “A core conclusion of this report is that there is an opportunity for the AI governance community to amplify its impact by engaging investors.

“This would create a mutually beneficial relationship between those who understand the risks and those with the leverage to act on them.”

Another report found that 70% of boards failed to give AI enough attention. Consultancy Protiviti said many boards “struggle” with a lack of expertise and have little strategic clarity.

At a panel discussion hosted by Board Agenda and Diligent, experts described how AI presents unique ethical and governance challenges.

Maria Axente, a former head of AI public policy at PwC who is serving on an AI advisory board at NATO, said: “If we start to understand what would distinguish AI from previous technology—its probabilistic nature—we start to understand why we have to have a different approach.”