Enterprise AI adoption jumps 30-fold as organizations face growing cybersecurity risks

A new report out today from cloud security company Zscaler Inc. finds that enterprise usage of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools has surged more than 30-fold from a year ago, and that rise also has hiked security concerns.

The finding comes from the Zscaler ThreatLabz 2025 AI Security Report, based on insights from more than 536 billion AI transactions processed in the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange. The report also details real-world threat scenarios from AI-enhanced phishing to fake AI platforms, along with recent developments in areas that will influence AI in 2025 and beyond.

The over 3,000% year-on-year growth in enterprise AI and machine learning usage highlights the rapid adoption of AI technologies across industries to unlock new levels of productivity, efficiency and innovation. Through Zscaler’s platform, enterprises were found to be sending significant volumes of data to AI tools, coming in at 4,500 terabytes. At the same time, enterprises were also found to block almost 60% of all AI and machine learning transactions, signaling awareness around the potential risks associated with AI and machine learning tools, including data leakage, unauthorized access and compliance violations.

The most popular tool, no surprise, was found to be ChatGPT, with a 47.1% share of global AI and machine usage. Conversely, however, it was also found to be the most blocked tool over growing concerns over sensitive data exposure and unsanctioned use. Other most commonly blocked applications include Grammarly, Microsoft Copilot, QuillBot and Wordtune.

The report notes that with increasing innovation comes escalating threats, with the rise of agentic AI and China’s open-source DeepSeek enabling threat actors to scale attacks. Though it doesn’t condemn the emergence of DeepSeek, the report notes that such advancements also introduce significant security risks.

In terms of which countries are embracing AI and machine learning the most, the U.S. may not come as a surprise, but in close second was India. The embrace of AI is global, and increasing numbers of users are not only facing security challenges but also stringent compliance requirements, high implementation costs and a shortage of skilled talent, all increasing the threat of AI-powered cyberattacks.

By industry, finance and insurance were found to lead enterprise AI traffic, accounting for 28.4%, reflecting its adoption and use for critical functions such as fraud detection, risk modeling and customer service automation. Manufacturing followed with 21.6% of AI transactions, followed by services at 18.5%, technology 10.1% and healthcare at 9.6%.

“While AI offers immense potential for innovation and efficiency, it also brings forth a new set of risks that organizations must grapple with — namely, risks associated with leveraging generative AI tools within the enterprise and an evolving landscape of AI-assisted threats,” Zscaler researchers wrote. “Enterprises and cybersecurity leaders must effectively navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape to harness its revolutionary potential while also mitigating the risks and defending against AI-powered attacks. In essence, leaders are the crossroads where stopping AI threats requires AI-infused security solutions innovating at the same speed and scale.”

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