PagerDuty has released an Australian study showing that misuse of artificial intelligence tools by office professionals is widespread, with many employees entering sensitive business information into public AI services.
The study surveyed 250 Australian administrative professionals working in non-IT and technology roles at companies with annual revenues of at least US$500 million. They found that 70% have used an AI tool or service at work, even though they believed it was not allowed by company policy.
More than half of respondents said they had received formal punishment, such as a warning or reprimand, for misuse of AI. Additionally, 58% had received informal feedback or coaching, and 27% reported disapproval from peers.
The findings also raise concerns about what employees are inputting into public AI systems. The study found that 40% of Australian respondents had entered customer data into a public tool, and 28% had entered financial information or disclosed confidential company documents or strategies.
Additionally, 37% said they entered emails and other work-related communications into public AI tools outside of their employer’s internal systems. The numbers suggest that the proliferation of consumer AI products into office operations is creating risks that many employers are still unable to contain.
policy gap
Employees also expressed little confidence in how AI rules will be applied within their organizations. While 82% said they believe their company has an AI policy, 83% said their executives face different rules than other companies, or a different application of those rules.
That perception seems to foster secrecy. More than a third of Australians who have used AI at work said they would hide its use to avoid management scrutiny.
Other findings highlighted similar tensions between employee demands and company restrictions. Approximately 45% said they would rather use AI in their work without telling anyone than risk being told that AI cannot be used.
The survey also suggests that many staff believe they are ahead of their employers in the practical application of AI. Three in four Australian administrative professionals say they understand how to use AI in their work better than the teams managing it in-house.
This view was even stronger among large companies. Among respondents from multi-billion dollar companies, 80% said they believe their workplace is better informed about AI than their technology team.
personal to work
This report shows that personal use of AI often leads directly to its adoption in the workplace. Among workers around the world who have used AI on the job, 89% used an AI tool at work for the first time after trying it in their personal lives.
In Australia, 48% said they have introduced AI in the workplace because it gives them personal confidence to use it. Some point to greater acceptance of AI in the workplace, formal acceptance of tools by organizations, or changes in roles and responsibilities.
It seems that everyday use is also shifting towards office use. The study found that 60% of Australian respondents use AI multiple times a week at work, compared to 48% who use AI frequently in their personal lives.
Employees are also looking for ways to work around existing systems. Almost half (44%) say they have used AI to circumvent restrictions in company-approved tools, and the same percentage say they have used personal devices for work or projects involving AI.
Furthermore, 39% said they have relied on AI for work-related advice or decision-making assistance, and 34% have shared AI-assisted work without disclosing that artificial intelligence was used.
skill pressure
The findings point to broader workforce issues that go beyond compliance and data processing. Many respondents linked the limitations of AI to career development and future job choices.
More than two-thirds, 78%, said their company’s AI restrictions or policies are limiting their professional growth and career mobility. Additionally, 72% said they are likely to look for a new job that offers better AI skills development.
At the same time, 53% said they believe their organization is investing appropriately in AI skills training and resources. This leaves a significant gap between those who expect some level of investment and those who continue to feel held back by policy.
The study covered Australia, Japan, the UK and the US, with a total of 1,250 office professionals surveyed. We focused on employees outside of IT and technology roles, providing a perspective on how AI is permeating mainstream corporate departments rather than specialized technical teams.
“AI is now deeply embedded in the way people work, and in many cases, organizations are responding faster than they can adapt their governance and training,” said Callum Eade, vice president of PagerDuty Asia Pacific.
