Zluri’s State of AI in the Workplace 2025 Report reveals a critical issue in enterprise AI adoption: 80% of AI tools operate without IT oversight, creating significant security vulnerabilities. Based on real usage data from over 160 organizations and 400,000 users, the report underscores the rapid rise of "Shadow AI" and its implications for data breaches and compliance failures.
Zluri’s groundbreaking report, The State of AI in the Workplace 2025, leverages its patented discovery engine to analyze AI usage across 160+ organizations globally. Unlike survey-based studies, it provides data-driven insights into the proliferation of AI tools, revealing that enterprises are rapidly integrating AI into core operations. However, with IT and security teams aware of only 20% of these tools, the phenomenon of "Shadow AI"—unauthorized AI usage—poses significant risks, including data leaks and regulatory non-compliance.
“AI adoption in enterprises is accelerating at a breakneck pace—several companies now use hundreds of AI tools, and many operate entirely outside IT’s awareness, creating what I call ‘AI sprawl,’” said Ritish Reddy, CEO and Co-founder of Zluri.
The report’s Enterprise AI Leaderboard ranks the top 20 AI applications, with ChatGPT dominating due to its widespread adoption. It also highlights “Rising Stars,” the next 10 tools gaining momentum. Organizations are prioritizing AI chatbots, writing assistants, and voice recognition software for immediate business value. Notably, code generation tools are expanding beyond engineering to departments like Sales & Marketing and Customer Support, while AI agents remain in early adoption stages.
Shadow AI introduces risks such as data leakage through unmanaged AI agents and uncontrolled access paths. The report notes that these tools, often adopted without IT approval, increase vulnerabilities to breaches and compliance failures, particularly in regulated industries. For instance, sensitive data like source code or customer information processed by unvetted AI tools can lead to costly security incidents.
Zluri’s platform addresses Shadow AI by providing complete visibility into all AI applications, tracking real-time usage, and offering intelligent risk scoring. Administrators receive instant alerts for restricted tool access and can enforce policies to de-provision unauthorized apps. The upcoming browser-based blocking and automatic data masking features will further enhance security, enabling organizations to safely leverage AI’s potential.
“With a structured approach—Visibility, Intelligence, Action (VIA)—organizations can reclaim control, detect Shadow AI, enforce access policies, and automate remediation, turning AI from a security threat into a strategic asset,” shared Ritish.
Zluri’s report underscores the urgent need for robust AI governance as enterprises embrace AI at scale. By providing tools to detect and manage Shadow AI, Zluri empowers organizations to balance innovation with security, ensuring AI becomes a strategic advantage rather than a liability.
Zluri is a Next-Gen Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) platform trusted by 200+ modern enterprises, including monday.com, Tipalti, and Guesty. Zluri helps organizations achieve 100% visibility into all identities and applications, automate joiner-mover-leaver workflows, streamline access requests, and conduct access reviews from a single intuitive interface.
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