Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses work. But as companies embrace tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot, we are asking: who is responsible for making sure they're being used safely?
Artificial intelligence is no longer something businesses can afford to ignore. Whether you're using ChatGPT to draft emails, Claude to analyse information, Microsoft Copilot to improve productivity or AI features already built into the software your business relies on, there's a good chance artificial intelligence is already playing a part in your working day. And if you're not using it yet, there's a strong possibility you will be soon.
The opportunities are significant. AI can help businesses work more efficiently, reduce repetitive tasks, analyse information and give employees more time to focus on work that requires human judgement. But while businesses are understandably excited about what AI can do, there's another conversation that needs to happen. Who is managing it, what information is being shared with it, and how are you protecting your business and customer data?
This Cyber Security Awareness Month, we think it's time businesses started asking those questions.
AI Is Already in Your Business. Even If You Haven't Approved It.
One of the biggest challenges facing businesses isn't necessarily the AI tools they've chosen to introduce. It's the ones their employees may already be using. An employee might use a personal ChatGPT account to summarise meeting notes. Someone in finance might upload a spreadsheet to an AI platform to help understand the figures. A member of the marketing team might use an AI assistant to prepare customer communications.
These activities might seem completely harmless.
In many cases, they're being carried out with good intentions. Employees are simply looking for ways to work faster and do their jobs better. But what happens when those documents contain confidential business information, customer records, financial details or commercially sensitive information? What happens when nobody knows which AI platforms are being used? And who is responsible for checking where that information goes?
This is sometimes referred to as Shadow AI: the use of artificial intelligence tools within an organisation without appropriate approval, oversight or governance. The problem isn't necessarily that employees are using AI. The problem is that the business may have no visibility or control over how they're using it.
Is Your AI Operating Within the Right Business Environment?
Here's something many businesses may not have considered.
There's a difference between an employee accessing an AI tool through their personal account and using a properly configured business or enterprise environment.
Take Microsoft Copilot, for example.
When used through eligible organisational Microsoft accounts, Copilot offers enterprise data protection, with security and compliance capabilities linked to the organisation's Microsoft 365 environment. That can include identity controls, data protection policies, auditing and permissions, depending on the product and licensing. But simply having Microsoft 365 doesn't mean every AI tool your employees use is automatically governed by your business.
ChatGPT, Claude and other platforms also offer different account types, business features and administrative controls.
Businesses need to understand which services they're subscribing to, which accounts employees are using and what protections apply to the information being processed.
An appropriate business environment may offer stronger administrative control, user management, security settings and contractual data protection commitments. However, a business subscription alone doesn't guarantee that AI is being used securely.
The platform still needs to be configured correctly, access needs to be managed and employees need to understand what information they are permitted to share.
What Happens to the Information You Give AI?
This is arguably one of the most important questions businesses should be asking.
Every time someone enters information into an AI platform, they're potentially sharing business data with another service. That might be a few sentences asking for help with an email. Or it might be an entire customer database, financial forecast, employee record, confidential contract or internal strategy document.
Different AI providers, products and subscription types have different arrangements for how information is processed, retained, accessed and potentially used to improve their services.
Businesses should never assume that information entered into an AI platform is automatically private, deleted immediately or protected under the same arrangements as their existing business systems.
Before allowing employees to use AI with company information, organisations should understand where that data is processed, what contractual protections apply, whether it may be retained and who can access it. This is particularly important where personal information is involved.
Under UK data protection law, businesses remain responsible for ensuring that personal data is processed lawfully and appropriately, including when third-party AI services are involved.
Your responsibility to protect customer information doesn't disappear because you've entered it into an AI tool.
Your Business Needs an AI Policy
Most established businesses already have policies covering passwords, acceptable technology use, data protection and cyber security. But how many have a clear policy covering artificial intelligence? An AI policy doesn't need to be a complicated document designed to discourage employees from using new technology. It should help people understand how to use AI responsibly.
For example, does your business know which AI platforms are approved for work? Are employees permitted to use personal accounts? Can they upload customer information? What about confidential contracts, financial records or employee data?
Who checks the accuracy of AI-generated work before it's shared with customers?
Who approves new AI tools or integrations?
And what happens if somebody accidentally shares information they shouldn't have?
These are practical questions that every organisation adopting AI should be able to answer.
A clear policy creates consistency, establishes accountability and helps employees benefit from AI without unnecessarily exposing the business to risk. Importantly, that policy should be reviewed regularly. AI is developing quickly, and the tools businesses use today may have very different capabilities in twelve months.
AI Can Access More Than You Think
The next stage of AI adoption presents another challenge. Artificial intelligence is moving beyond simply answering questions and generating text. Increasingly, AI tools can connect to emails, calendars, documents, cloud storage, business applications and other systems.
Some can search company information, retrieve documents, automate processes or carry out actions on behalf of users. That can create enormous productivity opportunities. But it also means businesses need to pay closer attention to permissions.
Consider an employee who has access to documents they don't actually need for their role. If an AI assistant is authorised to search those documents, it may be able to retrieve information that the employee technically has permission to access, even if that access was granted unintentionally.
The AI hasn't necessarily bypassed security. It may simply be exposing weaknesses in the organisation's existing permissions. That's why reviewing access controls, data classification and information-sharing arrangements is an important part of preparing for AI adoption.
AI doesn't remove the need for good cyber security. It makes getting the fundamentals right even more important.
AI Isn't Always Right. Your Business Is Still Responsible.
There's another risk that has nothing to do with hackers. Accuracy.
AI can produce convincing information that is incomplete, outdated or simply incorrect.
It can misinterpret documents, generate inaccurate figures or present information with confidence despite having insufficient evidence.
For businesses, this creates risks around customer advice, contractual information, financial decisions and operational processes.
Imagine an employee using AI to prepare a proposal, only for the platform to include an inaccurate commitment.
Or a business relying on an AI-generated analysis without checking the underlying figures.
The technology may have helped produce the work, but responsibility for the outcome still sits with the organisation.
AI should support professional judgement, not automatically replace it.
Businesses need clear expectations about when AI-generated work must be reviewed, verified or approved by a person.
This becomes particularly important when decisions could affect customers, employees, finances or legal obligations.
The Future of AI Needs Governance, Not Fear
It's easy for conversations about artificial intelligence and cyber security to become dominated by everything that could go wrong.
But we don't believe the answer is to discourage businesses from adopting AI.
Quite the opposite.
Used appropriately, AI can be a valuable part of a business's technology strategy.
It can help employees become more productive, improve access to information, streamline processes and support growth.
The opportunity is real.
The challenge is making sure businesses adopt it deliberately rather than allowing it to develop without oversight.
That means understanding which tools are being used, choosing appropriate business environments, setting clear policies, reviewing access permissions, training employees and monitoring how AI is being integrated into existing systems.
It also means recognising that AI adoption isn't simply an IT project.
Leadership, operations, HR, finance, compliance and other departments all have a role to play.
AI is becoming part of how businesses operate. Its governance needs to become part of how businesses are managed.
Cyber Security Awareness Month: Is Your Business Ready for AI?
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, making it an important opportunity to review not just the traditional cyber threats facing your business, but also the new risks being introduced through emerging technology.
For years, businesses have been encouraged to think carefully about passwords, phishing, backups, software updates and access controls.
Those fundamentals remain essential.
But the conversation now needs to include artificial intelligence.
Do you know which AI tools your employees are using?
Are they accessing those platforms through approved business accounts?
Have you reviewed the data protection arrangements?
Are there policies governing what information can be shared?
And does someone within your organisation have responsibility for managing AI adoption?
If the answer to several of those questions is no, now is a good time to start.
Not because AI should be feared.
But because the businesses that benefit most from AI will be those that understand how to use it effectively, responsibly and securely.
Make AI Part of Your Technology Strategy
At Sunrise Technologies, we believe technology should help businesses perform better.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to become an important part of that, but introducing new technology without understanding its security, compliance and operational implications can create unnecessary risk.
Whether you're exploring Microsoft Copilot, reviewing your organisation's cyber security or looking at how emerging technology fits into your wider IT strategy, it's important to have the right foundations in place.
Our team helps businesses take a proactive approach to IT, cyber security, risk reduction and technology planning.
AI is part of the future of business. Make sure your business is prepared for it.
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