An Ivanti report titled "2025 Technology at Work Report: Reshaping Flexible Work" revealed that approximately one-third (32%) of employees who use generative AI (GenAI) tools in the workplace do so secretly, without their employers' knowledge. The survey, which gathered input from more than 6,000 office workers and 1,200 IT and cybersecurity professionals, explores the challenges and opportunities in the modern workforce, highlighting a growing concern among employees about using technology to boost productivity.
The study shows that GenAI use at work is growing, with 42% of employees admitting to using it in 2025 — up from 26% in 2024. However, this discreet usage is driven by several factors: 30% of employees fear their jobs could be cut if their tool use is discovered, while 27% experience AI-driven "impostor syndrome," not wanting their skills to be questioned. The report also found that 48% of employees experience "resenteeism" (dissatisfaction with their job but staying anyway) and 39% admit to "presenteeism" (showing up at the office just to be seen, without necessarily being productive).
For IT professionals, the survey indicates that while 83% consider flexible work to be highly valuable or essential, only 25% say their current job is highly flexible, and 64% feel pressure from employers to return to the office. Ivanti highlights the importance of retaining this talent, especially given the competition for skilled professionals. Another key finding is that 85% of employees — even those working on-site — access company systems remotely outside of work hours, reinforcing the need for security across all work environments.
The Ivanti survey also reveals that the widespread use of AI tools not authorized by companies significantly elevates cybersecurity risks. The wide variety of AI models and tools available on the market — each with very different data collection and processing policies — can pose a high risk of leaking and misusing internal information by employees.
This post was translated and summarized from its original version with the use of AI, with human review.
Source: BusinessWire