How to Empower Your Team to Use AI Safely and Confidently

AI isn’t just knocking on the workplace door anymore — it’s already in the building, sitting at every desk, and shaping how people get work done every day. However, while the possibilities are exciting, many employees still feel a mix of curiosity, hesitation, and quiet anxiety about when and how to use these new tools.

A recent study showed that four in five workers now use some form of AI in their day-to-day role. More than half rely on AI assistants to save time and streamline tasks. Yet the emotional landscape is mixed. Employees trust AI to help them, but they’re not always sure others will trust how they’re using it.

Some worry colleagues will assume they’re lazy. Others fear judgment or second-guessing. And because only one in three employees has received any formal AI training, most are left to learn by trial and error — a risky foundation for something evolving this quickly.

For organizations across Michigan and beyond, this presents an enormous opportunity: helping employees build confidence in AI and supporting them in using it safely and securely.

At Yeo & Yeo Technology, this is exactly where we see businesses falling behind — not in tools or strategy, but in workplace readiness and cultural adoption.

What Employees Really Feel About AI

It’s no surprise that comfort levels vary dramatically across the workplace. According to the Harvard Business Review, Managers tend to feel more confident using AI (around 70%), while junior staff lag behind, with only about a third describing themselves as comfortable. That’s a huge confidence gap — and one that can slow innovation if it isn’t addressed intentionally.

At its core, AI is meant to be a partner. A tool that helps people focus on what humans do best: strategic thinking, creativity, relationships, and complex problem-solving. To unlock that, your people need to feel supported, not scrutinized.

The Overlooked Piece: Cybersecurity and Safe AI Use

As AI becomes woven into everyday workflows, cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated — and more personal. This is where most businesses underestimate the stakes.

When employees experiment with AI tools without proper training, it’s not just productivity that’s at risk. It’s data security, regulatory compliance, and your overall threat surface.

Here’s where confidence matters as much as competence:

1. Shadow AI Is on the Rise

When employees don’t feel comfortable asking questions or using approved tools, they often turn to whatever AI tools they can find online. And that’s a huge problem. Unvetted AI platforms may store sensitive data, learn from it, or unintentionally expose proprietary or client information.

2. Prompt-Based Attacks Are Growing

Cybercriminals are now using AI to manipulate users through poisoned prompts, phishing messages that mimic AI tone, and malicious downloads disguised as helpful AI utilities.

If your team isn’t trained to recognize this, trust in AI can become a threat vector.

3. AI Confidence Directly Impacts Cyber Hygiene

When employees are unsure how AI works, they are more likely to:

• Overshare internal information with public AI tools
• Misinterpret AI-generated content
• Skip internal cybersecurity protocols to “get the job done quicker.”

Training isn’t just an enablement tool — it’s a protection layer.

Building a Culture Where AI Is Encouraged — and Secure

The businesses that will thrive with AI aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets. They’re the ones building a workplace where smart experimentation is welcomed, and safe usage is clearly defined.

Here’s how leaders can make that happen:

1. Normalize AI as a Work Partner — Not a Shortcut

Make it clear: using AI isn’t cutting corners. It’s modern problem-solving. When leadership openly embraces AI, employees feel empowered to do the same.

2. Provide Real Training (Not Just a List of Tools)

People can’t become AI-confident by guessing. Offer training that covers:

• Practical use cases for their role
• Allowed vs. restricted data inputs
• Identifying unsafe prompts or tools
• Cybersecurity risks associated with AI

This builds comfort and guards the business.

3. Create a Safe Space to Experiment

Internal “show and tell” sessions or short team-led demos are incredibly powerful. When colleagues share how they’re using AI effectively, the whole team benefits.

4. Build Guardrails — Then Empower People to Work Within Them

With the right policies in place — acceptable use guidelines, secure AI platforms, and routine training — teams can innovate confidently without risking sensitive data.

The Results: A Confident, Creative, Future-Ready Team

AI confidence doesn’t happen overnight. But with thoughtful leadership and the right guardrails, teams grow more curious, more efficient, and more willing to explore new capabilities safely.

And that’s where the real value emerges — a workplace where people feel supported, workloads become more manageable, cybersecurity improves, and innovation accelerates.

At the end of the day, the future of work isn’t just about adopting AI tools. It’s about empowering your people to use them confidently and securely.