Zscaler AI Security Report Reveals Huge Surge in Enterprise Use of AI/ML Tools

Zscaler has released a new AI Security Report revealing a 3,000+% year-over-year growth in enterprise use of AI/ML tools, underscoring the rapid adoption of AI technologies. While Enterprises are sending more than 3,000 terabytes of data to AI tools, the company says this surge in adoption also brings heightened security concerns. Enterprises blocked 59.9% of all AI/ML transactions, signaling enterprise awareness around the potential risks associated with AI/ML tools, including data leakage, unauthorized access, and compliance violations. Threat actors are also increasingly leveraging AI to amplify the sophistication, speed, and impact of attacks—forcing enterprises to rethink their security strategies.

“As AI transforms industries, it also creates new and unforeseen security challenges,” said Deepen Desai, Chief Security Officer at Zscaler. “Data is the gold for AI innovation, but it must be handled securely.”

ChatGPT emerged as the most widely used AI/ML application, driving 45.2% of identified global AI/ML transactions in the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange. However, it was also the most-blocked tool due to enterprises’ growing concerns over sensitive data exposure and unsanctioned use. Other most-blocked applications include Grammarly, Microsoft Copilot, QuillBot, and Wordtune, showing broad usage patterns for AI-enhanced content creation and productivity improvements.

The United States and India generated the highest AI/ML transaction volumes, representing the global shift toward AI-driven innovation. However, these changes aren’t occurring in a vacuum, and organizations in these and other geographies are grappling with increasing challenges like stringent compliance requirements, high implementation costs, and shortage of skilled talent.

According to the report, the Finance & Insurance sector accounted for 28.4% of all enterprise AI/ML activity. Manufacturing was second, accounting for 21.6% of transactions. Additional sectors, including Services (18.5%), Technology (10.1%), and Healthcare (9.6%), are also increasing their reliance on AI.

The report is based on insights from more than 536 billion AI transactions processed between February 2024 to December 2024 in the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform.

Channel Impact^®
The report is intended to help partners and customers assess related technology opportunities across multiple industries to unlock new levels of productivity, efficiency, and innovation.