TL;DR: Whether you’re ready to adopt AI or not, it is important for businesses to monitor how AI technologies are evolving. AI tools are entering workplaces with or without formal IT approval. By getting your information estate and governance in shape now, you will be better positioned to embrace AI when the time is right for your organisation.
The continual release of new AI products and rapid improvements in capabilities show a clear direction of travel. AI is transforming everyday tools and the content we interact with, for better or worse.
For businesses, AI will become part of daily work whether it is planned for or not. If organisations don’t set an approach for AI, employees will.
Ignoring this shift can lead to shadow IT, where employees use consumer-grade AI tools with sensitive data, creating significant data risks.
Enterprise SaaS platforms are also embedding AI by default. Therefore, businesses need AI policies and ideally technical controls to manage these features, even if dedicated AI apps such as ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity have been locked down.
Every business should assess the pros and cons of AI for its own unique processes and operations.
If AI is introduced, it should be done strategically and carefully, with data protection and information governance at the forefront.
Even if AI adoption isn’t planned immediately, it is worth considering what would need to happen if that stance were to change. Competitors may gain an advantage through AI, and your business may want to act quickly to maintain parity.
Preparing for AI is a smart move and can prove a solid investment – given that organising your data estate benefits compliance, information management and security practices in turn.
For organisations using a Microsoft tech stack such as Microsoft 365, Copilot is a logical starting point thanks to its native integrations and ability to keep data within your tenancy when configured correctly.
Free versions exist, but the most powerful business use cases come with paid licences such as Microsoft 365 Copilot. These allow tools to access company data within your tenancy and the Microsoft Graph, respecting user permissions and adding work-specific context to AI outputs.
However, licences shouldn’t be purchased and switched on without preparation. Strong governance and data protection are essential, with key controls focusing on apps like SharePoint Online and OneDrive to reduce risk.
Review data governance, security, information architecture and AI policies to ensure AI tools deliver value without introducing risk.
Microsoft compliance tools such as Microsoft Purview (included in several M365 licence tiers) and SharePoint Advanced Management (now bundled with Microsoft 365 Copilot licences), can help you implement data protection and governance controls.
Jason Lee, Collaboration and Information Management Lead at Chorus, recently commented:
, Collaboration and Information Management LeadStrong data governance provides a solid foundation for success with Copilot. By creating those lifecycle management policies, managing your dormant and orphaned data, identifying and managing problematic SharePoint sites, and so on, you’ll reduce data risks while ensuring that Copilot draws on your most useful and accurate content.
We help organisations improve their information architecture in Microsoft 365 and embed strong governance and data protection measures to keep your business secure, productive and ready for AI adoption at a pace that works for you.
We offer Microsoft Copilot and AI workshops designed for technical decision-makers. These sessions support organisations concerned about data and privacy or wanting to understand how Copilot will work with their existing setup.
Our workshops cover:
Learn more about our Copilot and AI workshops to get started.
Chorus can help you prepare your business for AI. Our Microsoft Copilot AI consultancy services will help you get ready to adopt AI safely with Microsoft 365 Copilot, while maximising the value of your wider Microsoft 365 technologies.