AI Governance Engineer
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Shadow AI

By Updated

An AI system, model or agent running without registration, including staff use of unapproved AI tools; the failure mode that makes an inventory complete only for the honest. It is found by discovery and answered with a sanctioned route, not a ban.

Developed in
ch. 05, Pattern: Shadow-AI Discovery
ch. 12, Acceptable use of AI by staff
Chapters
ch. 05, Patterns · ch. 07, Maturity Model · ch. 12, Governance Program
Contrast with
Sanctioned AI gateway
Source
Defined by this Body of Knowledge: the section it is developed in is the source

Where it is used

2 chapters of the Body of Knowledge use the term. Each link opens the first section that does.

Shadow AI: mentions per chapter2 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterCross-referenced, not named05 Patterns007 Maturity Model: 1 mention07 Maturity Model112 Governance Program: 1 mention12 Governance Program1No mentions in the other 20 chaptersSource: the Body of Knowledgev0.5.0
Shadow AI: mentions per chapter2 mentions of the term across 2 of the 23 chapters of the Body of Knowledge; the chapters the glossary cross-references are drawn solid.Cross-referenced chapterCross-referenced, not named0001020304050607 Maturity Model: 1 mention10708101112 Governance Program: 1 mention1121314151617181920212223Source: the Body of Knowledge v0.5.0
Mentions per chapter How often each chapter names the term, with the chapters the glossary cross-references drawn solid. The longest bar is where to read the term in use; bars spread across many chapters mark a term that runs through the discipline.
Mentions as a table
Mentions of Shadow AI per chapter
ChapterMentionsCross-referenced
00 Preface0No
01 Definition0No
02 Why Now0No
03 Values & Principles0No
04 The Stack0No
05 Patterns0Yes
06 The Role0No
07 Maturity Model1Yes
08 Regulatory Map0No
10 Reading List0No
11 AI Defined0No
12 Governance Program1Yes
13 Risk Management0No
14 Development0No
15 Deployment0No
16 Fairness & XAI0No
17 Incidents0No
18 EU AI Act0No
19 Privacy & AI0No
20 Existing Law0No
21 AI Laws Worldwide0No
22 Principles & Standards0No
23 AI Agents0No
Shadow AI: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastShadow AIRelated terms (2)AI system · RelatedAI systemAcceptable-use policy (AUP) · RelatedAcceptable-use policy (AUP)Contrast with (1)Sanctioned AI gateway · ContrastSanctioned AI gateway
Shadow AI: related terms and patternsThe term at the centre; related terms on solid edges, the terms it is contrasted with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer.RelatedContrastRelated terms (2)AI system · RelatedAI systemAcceptable-use policy (AUP) · RelatedAcceptable-use policy (AUP)Contrast with (1)Sanctioned AI gateway · ContrastSanctioned AI gatewayShadow AI
The term's neighbourhood Terms related to this one on solid edges, terms it is often confused with on dashed edges, and the patterns that use it most in the colour of their layer. Follow a dashed edge to check the distinction before you use either term.
Neighbourhood as a table
Neighbourhood of Shadow AI
FamilyItemRelation
Related termsAI systemRelated
Related termsAcceptable-use policy (AUP)Related
Contrast withSanctioned AI gatewayContrast
  • Acceptable-use policy (AUP)

    The staff-facing rules for using AI tools: which tools are approved, which data classes may go where, duties to review and disclose outputs, logging…

  • AI system

    For governance, the object the AI definition brings into scope.

Sources

No external source: the term is coined or used in a specific sense by this Body of Knowledge, and the section linked under "Developed in" is its source.

Definitions of legal terms paraphrase the cited text, which governs. Dated statements are as of .

Cite this term

García Aibar, J. (2026). Shadow AI. In AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis & Body of Knowledge (v0.5.0), Glossary. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22956197. https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/shadow-ai. CC BY 4.0

BibTeX

@misc{aige2026shadowai,
  author  = {Jorge García Aibar},
  title   = {{Shadow AI}},
  note    = {Glossary, AI Governance Engineering: The Thesis \& Body of Knowledge, version 0.5.0},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.22956197},
  url     = {https://aigovernanceengineer.com/glossary/shadow-ai}
}