Shadow AI Is Not Shadow IT With a Better Marketing Budget
KnowBe4, Wednesday, July 1st, 2026
KnowBe4 argues Shadow AI is an authorization problem, fundamentally different from the data-location risk of Shadow IT.
This KnowBe4 article by Javvad Malik argues that Shadow AI is a fundamentally different security challenge than Shadow IT. Whereas Shadow IT involved unauthorized data stored in unsanctioned locations, Shadow AI grants persistent access and decision-making authority to unvetted AI agents acting on behalf of employees through legitimate organizational channels.
The author stresses this distinction is not subtle: delegating authority to AI agents creates an authorization problem rather than merely a data-location problem.
The piece urges organizations to rethink governance around agentic AI.