AI and artificial intelligence tools like Microsoft Copilot can feel “smart”… until they start giving your team wrong answers. Most of the time, that isn’t an AI problem—it’s a data management and information technology problem.
Direct answer: AI works best when your company’s information is organized, accurate, current, and protected by the right permissions. If your files are outdated or scattered, AI will produce unreliable results. If permissions are messy, AI can surface sensitive content to the wrong people.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Stimulus Tech Talk here: https://youtu.be/LoIEAeXo0Kc
Stimulus Technologies CEO Nathan Whittacre put it simply:
“AI systems are very hungry for data inside organizations, and it has to be good and accurate data.”
What “data management for AI” means (in plain English)
Data management isn’t complicated jargon. For most small and mid-sized businesses, it means:
- Your important files live in the right place (not everywhere)
- Old versions are archived or removed
- Everyone knows what the “source of truth” is
- Access is controlled by role (HR, accounting, leadership, etc.)
When those basics are missing, AI can’t reliably help your team.
Why AI gives wrong answers at work
If someone says, “AI keeps getting it wrong,” it’s often because the tool is pulling from:
- Old templates and outdated pricing sheets
- Random documents on shared drives
- Multiple versions of the same spreadsheet
- Information buried in email inboxes
- Files saved on individual laptops
Nathan summed up the outcome like this:
“Garbage in, garbage out.”
AI doesn’t automatically know what’s current, what’s official, or what was replaced last year. It answers based on what it can find.
The hidden risk: AI can amplify permission problems
Beyond accuracy, there’s a bigger concern: security.
If employees have access to places they shouldn’t (even accidentally), AI can make that easier to discover because it summarizes and surfaces information quickly.
🎧 The full episode includes a real example of how “hidden” drives can still be accessible. Watch/listen here: https://youtu.be/LoIEAeXo0Kc
Microsoft Copilot and SharePoint: what Copilot can “see”
Here’s the good news for Microsoft 365 users: Copilot typically respects your existing SharePoint/OneDrive permissions. If a user can’t access an executive SharePoint site, Copilot shouldn’t use that executive data in answers to that user.
But the key word is “existing.” If your permissions are wrong today, AI doesn’t fix that—it can expose it faster.
“Shadow AI” is real (even if you didn’t approve AI)
Even if leadership hasn’t rolled out AI officially, employees may be using it anyway, sometimes called shadow IT or shadow AI.
Common examples:
- An employee using a public AI tool for work tasks
- Connecting an AI tool to SharePoint/Google Drive
- Copy/pasting internal data into a prompt to “speed things up”
This is why companies need a clear, practical AI policy and basic training—not fear, but guardrails.
Can you block copy/paste into AI tools?
Sometimes you can reduce risk with technical controls, but there’s no perfect switch that stops every form of data sharing without harming productivity. A better approach is:
- Clear policy (what’s allowed vs. not allowed)
- Training (what counts as confidential)
- Role-based permissions (limit exposure at the source)
- Consequences (if policies are knowingly ignored)
AI readiness checklist (simple, non-technical)
Use this to judge whether your business is ready for AI tools like Copilot:
- We know where our key documents live (and where they shouldn’t live)
- We have one “source of truth” for key processes (pricing, policies, SOPs)
- Outdated documents are archived or removed
- Access is based on role (executive, HR, accounting, sales, etc.)
- We’ve verified permissions—not assumed them
- We have an AI policy employees understand and can follow
- We can explain what data should never go into public AI tools
Want to learn more about AI Readiness? Watch the replay of our webinar: Compliance and AI: What Every Small Business Needs to Know Before Automating
How Stimulus helps businesses get ready for AI
AI readiness usually starts with an IT review and a data plan. Stimulus helps businesses:
- Identify where data lives and how it’s currently accessed
- Improve organization (often during migrations to Microsoft 365/SharePoint)
- Fix role-based permissions and security gaps
- Reduce the risk of shadow AI usage
- Create an actionable plan so AI improves productivity safely
Bottom line
If you want AI to actually help your business, start with the foundation: data management and information technology security. Organize what you have, lock down what matters, and then let AI do what it does best—speed up work with better answers.
🎧 This post covers the highlights. For the full walkthrough and deeper examples, watch to the full Stimulus Tech Talk episode: https://youtu.be/LoIEAeXo0Kc
or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
FAQ section
What is data management for AI?
Data management for AI is organizing, updating, and protecting business information so AI tools can use accurate, current data and avoid outdated or sensitive content.
Why does AI give incorrect answers at work?
AI answers based on the data it can access. If your documents are old, duplicated, or scattered, the AI may summarize the wrong “source of truth.”
Does Microsoft Copilot use company data?
Yes. Copilot can use Microsoft 365 content (like SharePoint and OneDrive) that the user already has permission to access.
Can AI expose confidential information to employees?
It can if permissions are misconfigured. AI doesn’t create the access problem—but it can surface what’s accessible faster.
How do we know if we’re ready for AI?
If your data is organized, current, permissioned by role, and your team has an AI policy, you’re in a strong position to adopt AI tools safely.
