Shadow AI use higher among managers at 46.5%, says AI白書2026

The survey results, published by Yahoo! Asia Skills Research Institute on August 10, 2026, as part of its AI White Paper 2026, look at generative AI usage across large companies with at least 300 employees. The research institute surveyed 310 valid respondents between April 24 and 25, 2026, through an internet survey using a monitor panel.

The findings show that shadow AI — using AI tools for work without company approval — is more common among managers at section-chief level and above (46.5%) than among general employees (38.1%). This pattern is consistent with the finding that managers feel guidelines and rules cannot keep up with the pace of change at a higher rate (57.4%) than general employees (47.1%). The survey also found that even at companies with fully developed company-wide guidance, unauthorized AI tool use remained at 46.9%, nearly the same as at firms with partial rules (50.0%).

Looking ahead, the effectiveness of AI governance appears to hinge less on whether rules exist than on how quickly they are revised and operated. For compliance and IT teams, the challenge may be less about writing new guidelines and more about closing the gap between rule updates and the speed at which AI tools and use cases change.