Category: AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the business world by storm, pushing organizations of all sizes to adopt new tools that boost efficiency and sharpen their competitive edge. Among these tools, Microsoft 365 Copilot rises to the top, offering powerful productivity support through its seamless integration with the familiar Office 365 environment.

In the push to adopt new technologies and boost productivity, many businesses buy licenses for every employee without much consideration. That enthusiasm often leads to “shelfware”, AI tools and software that go unused while the company continues to pay for them. Given the high cost of these solutions, it’s essential to invest in a way that actually delivers a return on investment.

Because you can’t improve what you don’t measure, a Microsoft 365 Copilot audit is essential for assessing and quantifying your adoption rates. A thorough review shows who is truly benefiting from and actively using the technology. It also guides smarter licensing decisions that reduce costs and improve overall efficiency.

The Reality of AI Licensing Waste

At first, buying licenses in bulk may seem like a convenient strategy since it simplifies the procurement process for your IT department. However, this collective approach often ignores actual user behavior, since not every role needs the advanced features offered by Copilot.

AI licensing waste occurs when tools sit unused on employee dashboards. For example, a receptionist may have no need for advanced data-analysis capabilities, while a field technician might never open the desktop application at all.

Paying for unused licenses drains your budget, so identifying and closing these gaps is essential to protecting your bottom line. The savings can then be redirected to higher-value initiatives where they’ll make the greatest impact.

Analyzing User Activity Reports

Fortunately, Microsoft includes built-in tools that make it easy to view your AI usage data. The Microsoft 365 admin center is the best place to start. From there, you can generate reports that track active usage over specific time periods and give you a clear view of engagement.

From this dashboard, you can track various metrics such as enabled users, active users, adoption rates, trends, and so on.  This makes it easy to identify employees who have never used AI features, or those whose limited usage may not justify the licensing cost.

This kind of software usage tracking allows you to make data-driven decisions and distinguish between power users and those who ignore the tool. This clarity not only allows for making efficient license purchases, but also sets the stage for having conversations with department heads to determine why certain teams do not engage with AI tools. 

Strategies for IT Budget Optimization

Once you identify the waste, the next step is taking action. Start by reclaiming licenses from inactive users and reallocating them to employees who actually need them. This simple shift, making sure licenses go to those who use them, can significantly reduce your subscription costs.

Establish a formal request process for Copilot licenses. This ensures employees must justify their need for the tool, granting access only to those who truly require it and adding accountability to your spending.

IT budget optimization isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement. Regularly reviewing these metrics, whether monthly or quarterly, helps keep your software spending efficient and under control.

Boosting Adoption Through Training

Low AI tool usage isn’t always about lack of interest. Sometimes, employees simply don’t need the tool, while other times they avoid it because they don’t know how to use it, insufficient training can lead to frustration and poor adoption. This means that cutting licenses alone isn’t enough; investing in user training is equally important.

The most effective approach is to survey staff and assess their comfort level with Copilot. For employees who find it confusing, provide self-paced tutorials or conduct training workshops that demonstrate practical use cases relevant to their daily tasks. When employees see clear value and convenience, they are much more likely to adopt the tool.

Consider the following steps to improve adoption:

• Host lunch-and-learn sessions to demonstrate key features
• Share success stories from power users within the company
• Create a library of quick tip videos for common tasks
• Appoint “Copilot Champions” in each department to help others

Investing in training often transforms low usage into high value, turning what was once a wasted expense into a productivity-enhancing asset.

Establishing a Governance Policy

Another way to minimize Copilot license waste involves setting rules for how your company handles AI tools. A governance policy effectively brings order to your software management by outlining who qualifies for a license and setting expectations for usage and review cycles.

The policy should also define criteria based on job roles and responsibilities. For instance, content creators and data analysts get automatic access, while other roles might require manager approval, thus preventing the “free-for-all” mentality that leads to waste.

The policy should be clearly communicated to all employees to ensure transparency regarding how decisions are being made. This way, a culture of responsibility regarding company resources is established. 

Preparing for Renewal Season

The worst time to check your Copilot AI usage is the day before renewal. Instead, schedule audits at least 90 days in advance to allow ample time to adjust your contract and license counts. 

This also gives you leverage during negotiations with vendors. By presenting data showing your actual needs, you put yourself in a strong position to right-size your contract and avoid getting locked into another year of paying for shelfware. 

Smart Management Matters 

Managing modern software costs demands both vigilance and data, particularly as most vendors move to subscription-based models for AI and software tools. With recurring expenses, letting subscriptions run unchecked is no longer an option. Regular Microsoft 365 Copilot audits safeguard your budget and ensure efficiency by aligning technology purchases with actual usage.

Take control of your licensing strategy today. Look at the numbers, ask the hard questions, and ensure every dollar you spend contributes to your business’ growth. Smart management leads to a leaner and more productive organization.

Are you ready to get a handle on your AI tool spending? Reach out to our team for help with comprehensive Microsoft 365 Copilot audits, and eliminate waste from your IT budget. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.

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This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

We all agree that public AI tools are fantastic for general tasks such as brainstorming ideas and working with non-sensitive customer data. They help us draft quick emails, write marketing copy, and even summarize complex reports in seconds. However, despite the efficiency gains, these digital assistants pose serious risks to businesses handling customer Personally Identifiable Information (PII). 

Most public AI tools use the data you provide to train and improve their models. This means every prompt entered into a tool like ChatGPT or Gemini could become part of their training data. A single mistake by an employee could expose client information, internal strategies, or proprietary code and processes. As a business owner or manager, it’s essential to prevent data leakage before it turns into a serious liability.

Financial and Reputational Protection

Integrating AI into your business workflows is essential for staying competitive, but doing it safely is your top priority. The cost of a data leak resulting from careless AI use far outweighs the cost of preventative measures. A single mistake by an employee could expose internal strategies, proprietary code, or sensitive client information. This can lead to devastating financial losses from regulatory fines, loss of competitive advantage, and the long-term damage to your company’s reputation.

Consider the real-world example of Samsung in 2023. Multiple employees at the company’s semiconductor division, in a rush for efficiency, accidentally leaked confidential data by pasting it into ChatGPT. The leaks included source code for new semiconductors and confidential meeting recordings, which were then retained by the public AI model for training. This wasn’t a sophisticated cyberattack, it was human error resulting from a lack of clear policy and technical guardrails. As a result, Samsung had to implement a company-wide ban on generative AI tools to prevent future breaches.

6 Prevention Strategies

Here are six practical strategies to secure your interactions with AI tools and build a culture of security awareness.

1. Establish a Clear AI Security Policy

When it comes to something this critical, guesswork won’t cut it. Your first line of defense is a formal policy that clearly outlines how public AI tools should be used. This policy must define what counts as confidential information and specify which data should never be entered into a public AI model, such as social security numbers, financial records, merger discussions, or product roadmaps.

Educate your team on this policy during onboarding and reinforce it with quarterly refresher sessions to ensure everyone understands the serious consequences of non-compliance. A clear policy removes ambiguity and establishes firm security standards.

2. Mandate the Use of Dedicated Business Accounts

Free, public AI tools often include hidden data-handling terms because their primary goal is improving the model. Upgrading to business tiers such as ChatGPT Team or Enterprise, Google Workspace, or Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is essential. These commercial agreements explicitly state that customer data is not used to train models. By contrast, free or Plus versions of ChatGPT use customer data for model training by default, though users can adjust settings to limit this.

The data privacy guarantees provided by commercial AI vendors, which ensure that your business inputs will not be used to train public models, establish a critical technical and legal barrier between your sensitive information and the open internet. With these business-tier agreements, you’re not just purchasing features; you’re securing robust AI privacy and compliance assurances from the vendor.

3. Implement Data Loss Prevention Solutions with AI Prompt Protection

Human error and intentional misuse are unavoidable. An employee might accidentally paste confidential information into a public AI chat or attempt to upload a document containing sensitive client PII. You can prevent this by implementing data loss prevention (DLP) solutions that stop data leakage at the source. Tools like Cloudflare DLP and Microsoft Purview offer advanced browser-level context analysis, scanning prompts and file uploads in real time before they ever reach the AI platform.

These DLP solutions automatically block data flagged as sensitive or confidential. For unclassified data, they use contextual analysis to redact information that matches predefined patterns, like credit card numbers, project code names, or internal file paths. Together, these safeguards create a safety net that detects, logs, and reports errors before they escalate into serious data breaches.

4. Conduct Continuous Employee Training 

Even the most airtight AI use policy is useless if all it does is sit in a shared folder. Security is a living practice that evolves as the threats advance, and memos or basic compliance lectures are never enough. 

Conduct interactive workshops where employees practice crafting safe and effective prompts using real-world scenarios from their daily tasks. This hands-on training teaches them to de-identify sensitive data before analysis, turning staff into active participants in data security while still leveraging AI for efficiency.

5. Conduct Regular Audits of AI Tool Usage and Logs

Any security program only works if it’s actively monitored. You need clear visibility into how your teams are using public AI tools. Business-grade tiers provide admin dashboards, make it a habit to review these weekly or monthly. Watch for unusual activity, patterns, or alerts that could signal potential policy violations before they become a problem.

Audits are never about assigning blame, but identifying gaps in training or weaknesses in your technology stack. Reviewing logs might help you discover which team or department needs extra guidance or indicate areas to refine and close loopholes. 

6. Cultivate a Culture of Security Mindfulness

Even the best policies and technical controls can fail without a culture that supports them. Business leaders must lead by example, promoting secure AI practices and encouraging employees to ask questions without fear of reprimand.

This cultural shift turns security into everyone’s responsibility, creating collective vigilance that outperforms any single tool. Your team becomes your strongest line of defense in protecting your data.

Make AI Safety a Core Business Practice

Integrating AI into your business workflows is no longer optional, it’s essential for staying competitive and boosting efficiency. That makes doing it safely and responsibly your top priority. The six strategies we’ve outlined provide a strong foundation to harness AI’s potential while protecting your most valuable data. 

Take the next step toward secure AI adoption, contact us today to formalize your approach and safeguard your business.

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This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, such as DALL-E, offer significant benefits for businesses. However, without proper governance, these tools can quickly become a liability rather than an asset. Unfortunately, many companies adopt AI without clear policies or oversight.

Only 5% of U.S. executives surveyed by KPMG have a mature, responsible AI governance program. Another 49% plan to establish one in the future but have not yet done so. Based on these statistics, while many organizations see the importance of responsible AI, most are still unprepared to manage it effectively.

Looking to ensure your AI tools are secure, compliant, and delivering real value? This article outlines practical strategies for governing generative AI and highlights the key areas organizations need to prioritize.

Benefits of Generative AI to Businesses

Businesses are embracing generative AI because it automates complex tasks, streamlines workflows, and speeds up processes. Tools such as ChatGPT can create content, generate reports, and summarize information in seconds. AI is also proving highly effective in customer support, automatically sorting queries and directing them to the right team member.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), generative AI technologies can improve decision-making, optimize workflows, and support innovation across industries. All these benefits aim for greater productivity, streamlined operations, and more efficient business performance.

5 Essential Rules to Govern ChatGPT and AI

Managing ChatGPT and other AI tools isn’t just about staying compliant; it’s about keeping control and earning client trust. Follow these five rules to set smart, safe, and effective AI boundaries in your organization.

Rule 1. Set Clear Boundaries Before You Begin

A solid AI policy begins with clear boundaries for where you can or cannot use generative AI. Without these boundaries, teams may misuse the tools and expose confidential data. Clear ownership keeps innovation safe and focused. Ensure that employees understand the regulations to help them use AI confidently and effectively. Since regulations and business goals can change, these limits should be updated regularly.

Rule 2: Always Keep Humans in the Loop

Generative AI can create content that sounds convincing but may be completely inaccurate. Every effective AI policy needs human oversight, AI should assist, not replace, people. It can speed up drafting, automate repetitive tasks, and uncover insights, but only a human can verify accuracy, tone, and intent.

This means that no AI-generated content should be published or shared publicly without human review. The same applies to internal documents that affect key decisions. Humans bring the context and judgment that AI lacks.

Moreover, the U.S. Copyright Office has clarified that purely AI-generated content, lacking significant human input, is not protected by copyright. This means your company cannot legally own fully automated creations. Only human input can help maintain both originality and ownership.

Rule 3: Ensure Transparency and Keep Logs

Transparency is essential in AI governance. You need to know how, when, and why AI tools are being used across your organization. Otherwise, it will be difficult to identify risks or respond to problems effectively.

A good policy requires logging all AI interactions. This includes prompts, model versions, timestamps, and the person responsible. These logs create an audit trail that protects your organization during compliance reviews or disputes. Additionally, logs help you learn. Over time, you can analyze usage patterns to identify where AI performs well and where it produces errors.

Rule 4: Intellectual Property and Data Protection

Intellectual property and data management are critical concerns in AI. Whenever you type a prompt into ChatGPT, for instance, you risk sharing information with a third party. If the prompt includes confidential or client-specific details, you may have already violated privacy rules or contractual agreements.

To manage your business effectively, your AI policy should clearly define what data can and cannot be used with AI. Employees should never enter confidential information or information protected by nondisclosure agreements into public tools.

Rule 5: Make AI Governance a Continuous Practice

AI governance isn’t a one-and-done policy. It’s an ongoing process. AI evolves so quickly that regulations written today can become outdated within months. Your policy should include a framework for regular review, updates, and retraining.

Ideally, you should schedule quarterly policy evaluations. Assess how your team uses AI, where risks have emerged, and which technologies or regulations have changed. When necessary, adjust your rules to reflect new realities.

Why These Rules Matter More Than Ever

These rules work together to create a solid foundation for using AI responsibly. As AI becomes part of daily operations, having clear guidelines keeps your organization on the right side of ethics and the law.

The benefits of a well-governed AI use policy go beyond minimizing risk. It enhances efficiency, builds client trust, and helps your teams adapt more quickly to new technologies by providing clear expectations. Following these guidelines also strengthens your brand’s credibility, showing partners and clients that you operate responsibly and thoughtfully.

Turn Policy into a Competitive Advantage

Generative AI can boost productivity, creativity, and innovation, but only when guided by a strong policy framework. AI governance doesn’t hinder progress; it ensures that progress is safe. By following the five rules outlined above, you can transform AI from a risky experiment into a valuable business asset.

We help businesses build strong frameworks for AI governance. Whether you’re busy running your operations or looking for guidance on using AI responsibly, we have solutions to support you. Contact us today to create your AI Policy Playbook and turn responsible innovation into a competitive advantage.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.