What is BYOAI?

BYOAI (noun)

Employees’ use of unapproved, publicly accessible generative artificial intelligence tools for work-related tasks.

The rapid increase in generative AI use poses a variety of new challenges for organizational leaders, among them the advent of “bring your own AI.”

While the use of generative AI offers workplace value, companies need a plan for employees’ use of unapproved tools on the job, according to Barbara H. Wixom and Nick van der Meulen of the MIT Center for Information Systems Research.

BYOAI introduces risks that organizations are not yet equipped to manage, including data loss, intellectual property leaks, copyright violations, and security breaches.

The answer isn’t to ban these tools outright, van der Meulen said during a webinar hosted by MIT Sloan Management Review. “If we restrict access to these tools, employees won’t just stop using generative AI. They’ll start looking for workarounds — turning to personal devices and using unsanctioned accounts and hidden tools,” he said.

Instead, organizations should aim to turn BYOAI from a liability into an asset by developing clear guardrails and guidelines, training employees, and sanctioning specific generative AI tools.

What leaders should know about ’bring your own AI’