Your agents are already using AI, even if it’s not the kind your company has approved. Tools like ChatGPT and other free assistants are fast, easy and available as Shadow AI with just a few clicks. So it’s no surprise that support teams are leaning on them to get through packed queues and demanding customers. But when these tools live outside your tech stack, they create real risks. Most companies have no idea this is happening.
According to Zendesk’s 2025 CX Trends Report, shadow AI use is up 250% in financial services, and has spiked across healthcare, retail and manufacturing too. Almost all agents use these tools often, if not very often. And the longer companies ignore it, the more those habits get baked into everyday workflows.
The instinct to crack down is understandable. But banning AI outright won’t solve the problem. It just pushes employees further into the shadows. The real solution is to offer safe, smart tools that help your team do better work without putting your customers or your company at risk.
What shadow AI actually looks like
Picture this: An overwhelmed agent is juggling three chats, a support ticket and an angry caller on hold. They pull up ChatGPT to help write a friendly response or summarise a case faster. The response works. They do it again the next day. Soon, it’s part of their routine.
But the problem is, that tool isn’t connected to your company’s data. It doesn’t pull from your knowledge base or understand your policies. It can’t tell the difference between helpful and risky language. That gap opens the door to inconsistent service, compliance issues and customer confusion.
In highly regulated industries, it can get even messier. A healthcare agent might use an AI assistant to explain coverage rules, not realising they just exposed personal health info or delivered inaccurate guidance. These are small, fast decisions with big consequences.
The 2024 AI Benchmarking Survey found that 92% of companies don’t have policies for how third parties or vendors use AI. Only 32% have any formal governance. That means shadow AI is growing in the wild, with no clear plan to manage it.
A better path: Give Tteams tools they can trust
Blocking AI doesn’t work, but giving your team nothing at all works even less. Instead, companies need to offer better options. That means tools built for the contact center that are smart, secure and easy to use.
Think AI copilots that work right inside your agent desktop. They pull from company-approved sources, stay grounded in your brand voice and can flag risky or unclear content before it goes out the door. According to Zendesk, teams using these tools see a 20% boost in agent confidence and a strong return on investment in 90% of cases.
These copilots can handle simple, repetitive tasks so your agents can focus on real conversations. They can even help decide when it’s time to escalate a chat to a human or route a high-stakes case to someone with more experience. This isn’t just great automation; it’s an example of how great CX happens at scale.
Start by asking the right shadow AI questions
You don’t need a full AI overhaul to get started. Start by asking: Are our agents using unapproved tools? Where are the gaps in our current system that make them feel like they have to? What would a better alternative look like?
From there, bring in your IT and compliance teams to create simple, clear guidelines for AI use. Give your agents training so they understand what tools to use and why it matters. You don’t need to lock everything down. Just build guardrails that help people work faster and smarter without compromising trust.
AI isn’t the problem — It’s the fix.
Shadow AI isn’t going away. But the good news is, you can turn it from a hidden threat into a competitive advantage. When you give your team the right tools — and the freedom to use them responsibly — everyone wins. Customers get faster, more helpful answers. Agents feel supported instead of stretched thin. And your business stays on the right side of risk while delivering a standout experience.
The future of CX isn’t about choosing between AI and humans. It’s about making sure both are working together, transparently and effectively.