Shadow AI Essentials

Discover where AI may already be used across your organisation, what information could be exposed and the practical steps you can take to use AI more safely at work.

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Online Course

Shadow AI Essentials

AI is already part of everyday work. The challenge is knowing where it is being used, what information is being shared and whether your organisation has enough visibility to manage it.

What is Shadow AI?

Shadow AI is the use of AI tools or AI-enabled services for work without appropriate organisational visibility, approval or oversight.

It could be a personal AI account, an unapproved tool or an AI feature built into software your organisation already uses.

Practical AI awareness for everyday work

This course is not about stopping people from using AI.

It is designed to help learners recognise where AI may already be used, think more carefully about what information goes into AI tools and understand where human judgement still matters.

The course uses realistic workplace examples, short knowledge checks and practical activities that learners can apply directly to their own organisation.

What you will learn

Recognise common examples of Shadow AI in the workplace.
Identify where AI may already exist inside everyday business software.
Recognise personal, confidential and commercially sensitive information before it is shared with AI.
Reduce unnecessary information in AI prompts.
Decide when human review and judgement are still needed.
Create a simple map of AI use across an organisation.
Identify practical controls that can make AI use more visible and manageable.

Who is this course for?

Shadow AI Essentials is suitable for anyone using, managing or introducing AI in the workplace.

Employees using AI as part of everyday work.
Managers responsible for staff or business processes.
Small business owners who want better visibility of AI use.
Organisations beginning to introduce practical AI governance.

No technical or previous AI experience is required.

What is included

10 short learning modules.
Realistic workplace examples.
Knowledge checks throughout the course.
Practical “Instead of this, try this” examples.
A practical learner workbook.
Practical AI tips to take back to work.
Access to the PCS AI Use Checker.
A final knowledge test.
A course completion certificate.

Learn it. Apply it. Take it back to work.

Throughout the course, learners build a clearer picture of how AI is already being used and what practical improvements could be made.

By the end, the workbook contains a simple AI map, safer-use actions and practical controls that can provide a starting point for better AI governance.

See where you are before you start

Use the PCS AI Use Checker before taking the course, then try it again afterwards to see what you now recognise and where further action may be useful.

Try the AI Use Checker

Build safer, more visible AI use

Understand what your organisation may already be sharing, improve everyday AI use and leave with practical actions you can start using straight away.