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  • Your bookkeeper is using ChatGPT. That's a €75,000 problem.

Your bookkeeper is using ChatGPT. That's a €75,000 problem.

Found: 23 AI tools in a 40-person company. CEO knew about 2.

Author

Pallas Advisory
August 20, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Welcome, AI Strategists

💫 Current thoughts: Right now, while you're reading this, someone on your team is pasting customer data into ChatGPT. I just keep thinking about a sales person that is uploading their personal sales rolodex and talking to ChatGPT about a game plan. It gives me a bit of heartburn. Make sure you and your teams know what you can and should not do here. You know we are all using AI — just give it some guardrails.

This Week's Breakdown

Weekly Blog

Your Employees Are Already Using AI (And They're Not Telling You)

80% of SMB employees use ChatGPT without permission, creating immediate GDPR violations. This guide reveals Shadow AI in your business and provides a tested 48-hour framework: confession window, Red Light/Green Light policy, and converting your secret AI power user into your official champion. Stop the €75,000 fines before they start.

pallasadvisory.com/2025/08/19/shadow-ai-employees-using-ai-without-permission

AI News Roundup for SMB Decision-Makers and Marketing Professionals

14 ways Googlers use AI to work smarter

See how Googlers are using tools like Gemini and Imagen to save time, spark new ideas and build more helpful products.

blog.google/technology/ai/google-ai-workplace-examples

Scaling AI starts with people, not technology | MarTech

AI at scale succeeds when teams are ready first. Build curiosity, clarify roles and redesign workflows before expanding technology.

martech.org/scaling-ai-starts-with-people-not-technology

MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing

There’s a stark difference in success rates between companies that purchase AI tools from vendors and those that build them internally.

fortune.com/2025/08/18/mit-report-95-percent-generative-ai-pilots-at-companies-failing-cfo

Google swears it isn’t destroying the web with AI search

Google's defense reveals the new content reality: surface-level information gets commoditized by AI, while deep expertise becomes more valuable. If your content strategy relies on capturing quick queries, you're competing with machines. The opportunity lies in creating the thoughtful analysis and authentic perspectives that drive those "more valuable" clicks.

www.theverge.com/news/720069/google-ai-overviews-search-web-traffic-stable

Operationalizing generative AI for marketing impact | MarTech

Turn AI adoption into a strategic marketing advantage with streamlined workflows, connected systems, clear roles and measurable results.

martech.org/operationalizing-generative-ai-for-marketing-impact

Why AI-Driven Marketing Is No Longer Optional

Here's how AI-driven marketing helps you cut through the noise and reach the right customers faster.

www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/why-ai-driven-marketing-is-no-longer-optional/495261

Eager to Embrace AI, Marketers Struggle With the How

Limited skills and knowledge are preventing companies from incorporating the technology into their daily operations, according to an ADWEEK reader survey.

www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/marketers-advertisers-ai-reader-survey-skills-concerns-charts

Prompt of the Week:

Try this, generate a complete shadow AI audit & policy package


You are an AI governance consultant specializing in SMB compliance. Create a complete Shadow AI response package for a [SIZE]-person [INDUSTRY] company in [LOCATION].

Generate these 5 documents:

1. AMNESTY EMAIL (Day 1)
Subject line and 150-word email announcing 48-hour confession window. Tone: Non-threatening but urgent. Include: deadline, anonymous submission option, promise of no penalties.

2. AUDIT QUESTIONNAIRE 
5 questions to uncover:
- Which AI tools are being used
- What data is being shared
- Which tasks are being automated
- Frequency of use
- Problems being solved

3. RED LIGHT/GREEN LIGHT POLICY (One page)
RED LIGHT:
- [List 5 specific prohibited uses]
- Include GDPR/data security violations

GREEN LIGHT:
- [List approved tools with license types]
- [List 5 approved use cases]

GOLDEN RULE: One memorable principle

4. AI CHAMPION JOB DESCRIPTION
- 4 hours/week allocation
- 5 specific responsibilities
- 3 key deliverables
- Reporting structure

5. QUICK WIN IDENTIFICATION
Based on common Shadow AI uses, identify:
- Top 3 processes to automate officially
- Estimated time savings
- Required tools/licenses
- 30-day implementation plan

Make this specific to [INDUSTRY] risks and [LOCATION] regulations.

The Future of AI in Marketing. Your Shortcut to Smarter, Faster Marketing.

This guide distills 10 AI strategies from industry leaders that are transforming marketing.

  • Learn how HubSpot's engineering team achieved 15-20% productivity gains with AI

  • Learn how AI-driven emails achieved 94% higher conversion rates

  • Discover 7 ways to enhance your marketing strategy with AI.

  • 🎭 25% of job applicants will be fake by 2028—finally, some competition for the job descriptions.

  • 💸 SoftBank throwing $2B at Intel like that friend who keeps lending money to their perpetually broke roommate.

  • 🤖 McKinsey discovers AI can generate meaningless PowerPoints faster than their consultants—and for less than $500K per slide.

  • 🧺 Finally, a $200K robot that can fold laundry. The real test, can it fold a fitted sheet?

  • 🤨 Well This Sucks: Job search survival kit 🎉 

  • 🆒 Sharing is caring, and it makes you look cooler too! Share this newsletter

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