## AI Usage: Casual Users vs. 'AI Power Users' The **LayerX** "State of AI Usage Report 2026" indicates that while nearly half of enterprise users have interacted with AI tools in the past year, only 18% use AI on a weekly basis. This suggests that the majority of employees are casual users. However, the report uncovers that a small group of 'AI power users' drive a disproportionate amount of enterprise AI exposure. These power users conduct significantly more conversations, interact across multiple AI platforms, and engage in deeper prompt chains compared to average employees. For example, while half of the users had 12 AI conversations or fewer, the top 5% generated at least 144 conversations, averaging 18 prompts per conversation compared to the average of 2.   ## **ChatGPT** Dominates, But **Copilot** Gains Ground Despite the growth of enterprise copilots, **ChatGPT** remains the dominant AI platform in enterprises, accounting for 36% of enterprise AI users and over 55% of all AI conversations. **Microsoft**'s **Copilot** M365 is growing rapidly, reaching 29% adoption and nearly a quarter of enterprise AI conversations. This growth signals a split between governed enterprise-native AI and consumer-driven AI adoption.  While **Copilot** M365 usage is largely tied to corporate-managed **Microsoft** environments, **Google**'s **Gemini** presents a different risk profile. Most enterprise **Gemini** usage still happens through the consumer version, often accessed through personal accounts and unmanaged environments. This creates visibility gaps regarding data retention, prompt usage for model training, and the handling of enterprise information. ## The Rise of Shadow AI The **LayerX** report highlights that Shadow AI is no longer just about unapproved chatbots. Enterprise AI usage is fragmenting across a growing ecosystem of AI tools, embedded assistants, AI browser extensions, AI search engines, coding copilots, and AI-powered SaaS features that often operate outside traditional visibility and governance controls. Nearly 30% of enterprise users use multiple AI platforms, with the top 5% interacting with six or more AI applications. Employees are combining multiple AI systems within the same workflows, switching between tools based on the task, data type, or convenience.   ## Personal AI Usage and Data Sensitivity Almost half of all enterprise AI conversations happen through personal identities rather than corporate-managed accounts. Over 14% of conversations conducted with corporate identities are tied to personal AI licenses. This creates a significant governance blind spot, as organizations lose visibility into retention policies, auditability, model training exposure, and how enterprise data is handled when employees use personal AI accounts.  The report also reveals that over 6% of enterprise AI conversations already contain sensitive data, highlighting the risks associated with data leakage and compliance violations. Platforms like **DeepSeek** and **ChatGPT** are identified as being particularly prone to sensitive data exposure. The **LayerX** report underscores the urgent need for organizations to gain better visibility into their AI usage, implement robust governance controls, and address the risks associated with 'AI power users,' Shadow AI, and personal AI accounts.