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75% of UK Business Travellers Use Unapproved AI Tools, SAP Concur Survey Finds
When the next flight recommendation appears on your phone, you might not even realize you’re talking to a tool that your employer hasn’t vetted. A new SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey, released in June 2026, confirms that the reality is far from ideal: three‑quarters of UK business travellers are already turning to—or would turn to—unapproved artificial‑intelligence (AI) solutions.
The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research between April 1 and 20, 2026, gathered responses from 3,300 participants across 21 markets. The data reveal a widening gap between the AI capabilities organisations invest in and the tools employees actually rely on. In the UK alone, 75 % of respondents admitted they use or would use AI tools that have not received corporate approval.
Delving into the numbers, 43 % of travellers cited third‑party tools because the company‑supplied options failed to meet their needs, while 32 % reported that their organisation offers no AI assistance for travel planning or booking. The result is a surge in shadow AI usage, with employees bypassing corporate policies to access chatbots such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
Demographics paint a nuanced picture. Remote workers are more likely to employ shadow AI than their office‑based counterparts (81 % versus 71 %). Age also matters: Gen Z users hit 79 % and Millennials 76 %, surpassing Gen X at 62 % and Baby Boomers at 49 %. The most common use cases—identified by respondents—include itinerary planning (37 %), expense tracking (30 %), risk assessment (26 %), trip changes (24 %) and expense report completion (21 %). These figures underscore the productivity gains employees perceive from generative AI.
CFOs across the surveyed organisations share a unanimous concern. The report notes that 100 % of CFOs are worried about the risks of unapproved tools, including data security, compliance and cost control. In the words of Paul Dear, EMEA Vice‑President for Concur Travel, “Leaders must educate workers on the risks and provide T&E tools that deliver the desired level of AI support.” His statement signals a pressing need for governance frameworks that align employee behaviour with corporate policy.
The data also highlight a clear demand for integrated AI solutions. More than a third of respondents (38 %) want AI features embedded in productivity software, 36 % seek them in communications platforms, and 32 % desire integration with customer‑relationship management (CRM) systems. The preference for a single, sanctioned platform over multiple, potentially insecure chatbots suggests that organisations that can deliver AI‑enabled travel and expense tools that match employee expectations may reduce shadow AI usage and improve compliance.
Taken together, the survey’s findings point to a broader trend in corporate travel: companies invest heavily in AI, yet the tools they provide often fall short of user needs, driving employees to seek alternatives. Addressing this mismatch will require coordinated efforts from travel‑technology vendors, IT departments and business leaders to develop secure, integrated AI solutions that support itinerary planning, expense management and risk assessment. Until such solutions are widely adopted, shadow AI will likely remain a persistent challenge for organisations striving to control data security and cost.
The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research between April 1 and 20, 2026, gathered responses from 3,300 participants across 21 markets. The data reveal a widening gap between the AI capabilities organisations invest in and the tools employees actually rely on. In the UK alone, 75 % of respondents admitted they use or would use AI tools that have not received corporate approval.
Delving into the numbers, 43 % of travellers cited third‑party tools because the company‑supplied options failed to meet their needs, while 32 % reported that their organisation offers no AI assistance for travel planning or booking. The result is a surge in shadow AI usage, with employees bypassing corporate policies to access chatbots such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
Demographics paint a nuanced picture. Remote workers are more likely to employ shadow AI than their office‑based counterparts (81 % versus 71 %). Age also matters: Gen Z users hit 79 % and Millennials 76 %, surpassing Gen X at 62 % and Baby Boomers at 49 %. The most common use cases—identified by respondents—include itinerary planning (37 %), expense tracking (30 %), risk assessment (26 %), trip changes (24 %) and expense report completion (21 %). These figures underscore the productivity gains employees perceive from generative AI.
CFOs across the surveyed organisations share a unanimous concern. The report notes that 100 % of CFOs are worried about the risks of unapproved tools, including data security, compliance and cost control. In the words of Paul Dear, EMEA Vice‑President for Concur Travel, “Leaders must educate workers on the risks and provide T&E tools that deliver the desired level of AI support.” His statement signals a pressing need for governance frameworks that align employee behaviour with corporate policy.
The data also highlight a clear demand for integrated AI solutions. More than a third of respondents (38 %) want AI features embedded in productivity software, 36 % seek them in communications platforms, and 32 % desire integration with customer‑relationship management (CRM) systems. The preference for a single, sanctioned platform over multiple, potentially insecure chatbots suggests that organisations that can deliver AI‑enabled travel and expense tools that match employee expectations may reduce shadow AI usage and improve compliance.
Taken together, the survey’s findings point to a broader trend in corporate travel: companies invest heavily in AI, yet the tools they provide often fall short of user needs, driving employees to seek alternatives. Addressing this mismatch will require coordinated efforts from travel‑technology vendors, IT departments and business leaders to develop secure, integrated AI solutions that support itinerary planning, expense management and risk assessment. Until such solutions are widely adopted, shadow AI will likely remain a persistent challenge for organisations striving to control data security and cost.
