ForceNow Blog

The Hidden Risk of AI at Work: Are Employees Sharing Too Much?

Written by Clay Macdonald | May 23, 2025 2:41:02 PM

AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot are revolutionizing productivity, brainstorming, and automation — and your employees are likely using them. But with great power comes great responsibility. Many teams are unknowingly feeding sensitive company data into external AI platforms without understanding the risks.

 

 

The Rise of AI in the Workplace

Artificial Intelligence is now embedded into everything from email drafting to code review to customer support. Tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot offer speed, creativity, and scale — making them attractive to employees looking to streamline their workload.

 

The catch? These tools often rely on external infrastructure — meaning what goes in, may not be as private as your employees assume.

 

ForceNow Consulting Tip:
Our security consulting team helps companies audit current AI use and identify where data exposure may already be happening, often without IT's knowledge.

 

Real Risk Scenarios 

1. A financial analyst pastes internal spreadsheets into ChatGPT to summarize Q4 performance. Without realizing it, they’ve exposed confidential revenue data and projections.

 

🔐 ForceNow Solution:
Our SOC monitors endpoint activity for data exfiltration patterns — flagging when large datasets are sent to unsanctioned AI tools. 

 

2. Trying to refine a job description, HR pastes in an employee’s performance review. That input may now live on external servers — a major HR and compliance breach.

 

🔐 ForceNow Solution:
ForceNow consultants conduct policy workshops and user training so every department — not just IT — knows where the line is. Our SOC team actively monitors for insider threats or suspicious behavior.

 

3. A developer uploads proprietary source code to a public AI model to fix a bug. That code may now be stored, reused, or viewed outside your organization.

 

🔐 ForceNow Solution:
We help companies deploy secure, internal-use AI platforms with strict access controls. Our consulting team also drafts Acceptable Use Policies to reduce risky behavior before it happens.

 

 

Why This Matters

Even when platforms promise not to store your data, these mistakes can still violate:

  • Client NDAs

  • Internal compliance policies

  • Regulatory frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS

And beyond the legal impact? There’s reputational damage, lost client trust, and competitive disadvantages.

 

Use AI. Just Don’t Lose Control.

You don’t have to choose between productivity and protection. With ForceNow’s guidance and ongoing SOC support, you can empower your team to innovate — without putting your data or clients at risk.