At a time when tech companies want to make AI tools as standard-issue as stethoscopes, the technology is seemingly everywhere in the healthcare industry. But some of its use still remains in the shadows, so to speak—ungoverned by workplaces and rife with security and patient safety risks, experts said.

This so-called “shadow AI” remains problematic, according to a recent survey from professional software provider Wolters Kluwer: Nearly a fifth (17%) of more than 500 healthcare workers admitted to tapping unauthorized AI in the workplace. And two in five said they’d encountered such a tool but didn’t use it.

Alex Tyrrell, SVP and CTO of Wolters Kluwer’s health division, told us healthcare workers aren’t necessarily breaking the rules intentionally; they may not have a clear idea of what tools are allowed or how tech companies use data inputted into AI systems for training purposes.

How companies are tackling the issue.—PK

From city to federal government and in the private sector, hiring for tech leadership roles continued in February.

A new New York City CTO has pedigree

As if it weren’t enough to handle two major snowstorms last month, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also found time to name a new CTO, announcing Lisa Gelobter as the city’s new top tech official on February 10.

Gelobter has had a long and varied career in both the public and private sectors. In her three decades plus in the industry, she can claim experience from managing software company Macromedia, which was later acquired by Adobe, to managing digital video, products, and overall business operations for companies including NBCUniversal, Hulu, and BET.

In the last 10 years, Gelobter served in the Obama White House as chief digital service officer for the Department of Education, then founded tEQuitable, a company that aims to improve technological equity in the workplace.

City, federal, private.—EH

Nearly every sector in the economy is embracing AI, and for certain industries, like financial services, there’s a focus on ensuring the technology is handed to the proper talent, with an eye toward accelerating adoption.

That’s also widening the divide between AI-native engineers and those on staff who are still learning to use the technology. A recent survey from engineering talent acquisition company Karat found that the differences in productivity and engineering quality can be quite stark, with 73% of US tech leaders reporting that strong AI engineers are worth 3-times their compensation.

In line. As Karat CEO Mohit Bhende told IT Brew, financial services executives want to build their own AI-ready workforce but are lagging behind other industries. While that’s left them a bit on the back foot, it’s not insurmountable—especially given AI’s potential for streamlining workflows.

Keep it smooth.—EH

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