To a personal phone, a personal card and a personal account. Deloitte asked 25,000 UK workers in May and June. Of those using AI for work, 31% say their employer doesn’t know, and 17% buy at least one tool themselves. Deloitte puts that personal spend at close to $1.3 billion a year.

So some of the best AI in your company is on an account you’ll never see. No paper trail. In IBM’s 2025 breach report, one in five breached organizations traced a breach to shadow AI. Its 2026 report says that share has since doubled.

Now the money angle. PwC puts the average wage premium for AI skills at 62%. The person quietly buying the top tier with their own card is the person you’ll be paying more to hire next year. You’re already covering it, in the salary, with none of the control.

Bring it inside. Let’s talk about how. What are your thoughts?

DM if you want to schedule a deeper dive.