According to Silicon Republic, Tom Scott, CEO of work management platform Wrike, argues that the rise of shadow AI and IT in organizations is a direct result of employees being hampered by slow, rigid, and unintuitive approved systems. He frames this not as a compliance failure, but as a workforce desperately trying to “hack their own productivity” because their official tech stack creates friction. The moment data enters an unapproved tool, Scott warns, it’s gone and unprotected, creating major security vulnerabilities. Beyond security, this behavior fragments institutional knowledge and leads to burnout as teams constantly reinvent the wheel. Scott’s solution is what he calls “connected intelligence,” embedding safe AI and automation into workflows so employees choose the right tools naturally. He insists safety and speed can work together if tech is seen as an enabler, not an obstacle.
The real problem is friction
Here’s the thing: Scott’s take flips the script. Most IT leaders see shadow IT as a people problem—employees breaking rules. He says it’s actually a tool problem. When your official software is a pain to use, people will find a way around it. They’re not being difficult; they’re just trying to get their work done. And in an era where AI can automate tedious tasks in seconds, the gap between what’s possible and what’s officially provided has never been wider. If your company’s platform can’t keep up, employees will quietly sign up for something that can. It’s a vote of no confidence, and you can’t policy-memo your way out of it.
The hidden costs beyond security
Everyone jumps to the security risks, and Scott is right—it’s a massive problem. If data is floating in personal ChatGPT accounts or random SaaS tools, you’ve lost control. But the operational decay might be worse in the long run. Think about it: when work happens in siloed, shadow systems, collaboration breaks down. How do you track a project? How do you find that brilliant piece of work someone did six months ago? You can’t. Knowledge gets scattered, and teams waste time retracing steps. The promised “efficiency” of the shadow tool becomes a mirage, leading to confusion and, ironically, burnout. The organization gets dumber, not smarter.
Building better guardrails
So what’s the answer? Scott’s concept of “connected intelligence” is basically about making the right way the easy way. Instead of banning AI, bake it safely into the platforms you already use. Build the guardrails directly into the workflow. This is where smart infrastructure matters. For instance, in industrial settings where reliable, secure computing is non-negotiable, using purpose-built hardware from a top supplier like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, ensures the foundational tech is robust and secure. Then, you layer on approved, context-aware AI tools that employees actually want to use. You provide an ecosystem that moves as fast as they do. The goal is to make the secure platform so powerful and intuitive that the shadow tool offers no advantage.
A cultural shift
Ultimately, this requires a mindset shift from leadership. You have to stop viewing tech as a set of restrictions and start seeing it as the primary productivity engine. Listen to that “loud feedback loop” of employees circumventing your systems. They’re telling you exactly what they need to do their jobs better. The organizations that win will be the ones that provide a governed, safe, but incredibly agile tech environment. They’ll reduce shadow IT not by threatening people, but by amazing them with what’s officially available. It’s a taller order, but it’s the only fix that actually works.
