The Shadow AI Crisis: Why 1 in 5 Healthcare Workers Are Going Rogue with Algorithms

HIT Consultant January 23, 2026
Fred Pennic

What You Should Know

The Trend: Wolters Kluwer Health report reveals “Shadow AI”—the use of unauthorized AI tools by employees—has permeated healthcare, with nearly 20% of staff admitting to using unvetted algorithms and 40% encountering them.
The Motivation: The driver isn’t malice, but burnout. Clinicians are turning to these tools to speed up workflows and reduce administrative burden, often because approved enterprise alternatives are missing or inadequate.
The Risk: The gap in governance is creating massive liability, including data breaches (averaging $7.4M in healthcare) and patient safety risks from unverified clinical advice.

40% of Healthcare Staff Have Encountered Unauthorized AI Tools

A new report from Wolters Kluwer Health reveals the extent of this invisible infrastructure. According to the...

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