One in three Australian employees confess to sneaky AI habits that could cost them their jobs, and some companies are already tackling it.
According to data from Employment Hero, 34% of employees admit to using AI tools without their company’s knowledge.
Most large organizations provide employees with access to AI tools approved for use in the workplace and clear AI usage policies that guide how they use them.
This is to avoid the risk of employees violating privacy, confidentiality, and governance policies by entering sensitive data into publicly available AI tools that may be insecure.
Despite the risks, nearly half of companies said they are aware that employees are using personal AI accounts like ChatGPT to handle sensitive data without formal company licenses or policies.
About 11% of companies said it was a major problem in their workplace, while 32% said it was a minor problem.
Dr Giuseppe Calabetta, associate professor of workplace and business law at the University of Technology Sydney, told workers on nine.com.au that workers who use AI tools without their employer’s knowledge or who use personal AI tools could be fired.
“The short answer is yes. Improper use of AI can result in employees being disciplined and even fired,” he told nine.com.au.
“Legal issues typically do not concern the use of AI, but how it is used and whether its use violates workplace obligations or is in explicit policy.”
Using AI tools without an employer’s knowledge can expose them to claims of breaches of confidentiality, misuse of personal information, and breaches of cybersecurity requirements.
It may also violate your workplace’s AI usage policy.
If an employer does not have a formal AI usage policy, there is no “get out of jail free” card.
“AI policy” […] But just because a dedicated AI policy doesn’t exist doesn’t mean employees are suddenly free to ignore other workplace obligations,” Calabetta said.
The same risks apply to employees who use unapproved personal or public AI tools to perform their work.
“If an employee uses a personal or similar AI account for work tasks. […] “Organizations often have no idea what information is being uploaded, where it is stored, and who can access it later,” Calabetta said.
Serious violations may result in disciplinary action or even termination of the employee.
Using unapproved AI tools, or using AI without your employer’s knowledge, can get you fired. Dion Georgopoulos
It’s wise to be transparent about your use of AI at work, document how you use it, and never put sensitive work information into publicly available AI tools.
“Smart employees should use employer-approved AI tools whenever possible and never upload confidential, customer, financial, human resources, or commercially sensitive information without authorization,” Calabetta said.
“Use AI as an assistant, not as an unsupervised replacement for professional judgment.”
The use of AI in Australian workplaces has exploded over the past 12 months, with many Australian employees reporting that AI is having a positive impact.
Three-quarters said it made them more productive, 74 percent said it improved the quality of their work, and 61 percent said it helped them develop more valuable skills.
One in three Australian workers are using AI tools without their employer’s knowledge. alexul
However, nearly half admitted that using AI for some part of their job would feel like cheating.
Employment Hero APAC managing director James Keene told nine.com.au that although more Australians are adopting AI in the workplace, there are still tensions around it.
“Many employees who use AI regularly feel guilty that they shouldn’t be using it or that AI is ‘cheating’, even when it helps them do their jobs better.”
