AI Health Check
Shadow AI Health Check for SME Owners. AI is already in your business, whether you planned for it or not.
Staff, with the best of intentions, try tools like ChatGPT, Copilot & Gemini to save time. Company files, data and emails flow into prompts.
For many SME owners, the real question is not “should we use AI” but “where is AI already being used and what does that mean for risk”. The Shadow AI Health Check helps you answer that.
Who this is for
This health check is for business owners and senior leaders who:
• Suspect AI tools sit in the background of day to day work
• Worry about client or customer data entering public tools
• Want to move from quiet experimentation to a clear plan
It fits businesses with roughly 5 to 200 staff, across sectors such as professional services, technology, recruitment, ecommerce and local services.
What you get
The Shadow AI Health Check gives you:
• A structured questionnaire that you can complete online
• A simple scoring system that highlights your level of shadow AI risk
• A downloadable PDF version you can print, share with your team and use in workshops
• Clear pointers on where you need better controls, training or process
You do not need to be a technical expert. The questions sit in plain language and reflect real situations inside small and medium sized businesses.
What the health check covers
The questions focus on five areas.
• Visibility of AI use. How well you understand where and how AI tools appear in daily work.
• Data and confidential information. Where customer, client and HR data enters prompts.
• ChatGPT, Copilot & Gemini and data controls. How staff use their own accounts and what they believe about settings.
• Security and access control. Where AI tools store information and how people sign in.
• Governance and training. Policies, Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIAs), and how you guide staff to use AI safely.
Each answer scores 0, 1 or 2. Higher scores point to higher risk and stronger signs of shadow AI.
How it works
Step 1
Complete the online Shadow AI Health Check. It takes around 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 2
Review your score and risk level at the end. Look at any “red flag” questions where risk appears high.
Step 3
Download the PDF version. Use it to capture extra notes, examples from your business and questions for follow up.
Step 4
If you want help turning this into an AI strategy, book a short call with me and we will go through your results together.
Online and PDF versions
On this page you will find:
• The online Shadow AI Health Check, which you can complete in one sitting
• A link to download the PDF guide, for those who prefer to print or share with colleagues
You can choose to work through it on your own, or bring it into a leadership meeting or team workshop.
Why I created this tool
I work with small businesses across Scotland who feel caught between two pressures.
On one side, staff already use AI tools informally. On the other, owners see headlines about data breaches, regulation and risk.
This health check bridges that gap. It gives you a practical way to:
• See where AI already sits in your business
• Understand where risk is highest
• Start a sensible conversation about what to do next
It turns a vague concern about “shadow AI” into something you can see and act on.
Next step
If you want to know where you stand, start with the Shadow AI Health Check on this page.
Once you have your score, and some examples from your own business, we can talk about what a simple AI strategy might look like for you.
You can get in touch and we will set up a time that works.
