Key stat: 35% of US employees who use unapproved AI tools at work have shared employee data, the most commonly shared category of potentially sensitive information, according to an August survey from Cint and Cybernews.

Beyond the chart:

• Data privacy concerns are the top barrier to AI adoption among worldwide marketers in the past year (41%), according to a March HubSpot survey.
• Employees primarily use AI for editing (42%) and preparing presentations (42%), according to an April BambooHR survey.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to consider how aligning approved AI tools with employee needs can reduce privacy concerns.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Infopack: AI in Marketing (EMARKETER subscription required)
• The Future of Digital 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the September 2025 Cybernews survey "59% of Employees Use Unapproved AI Tools at Work—Most of Them Also Share Sensitive Data With Them" conducted by Cint. 1,003 US employees ages 18-74 were surveyed online during August 13-22, 2025. To achieve a representative sample of internet users, quotas were applied for age, gender, and place of residence.