ServiceNow launches agentic AI management amid spending decline
According to new data from ServiceNow's Enterprise AI Maturity Index, investment in AI across digitally advanced Asia Pacific markets has slowed, with declines in AI spending observed in Singapore, Japan, Australia, and India. This reduction is occurring despite growing interest from C-suite executives, with the data suggesting that issues including fragmented deployment, governance, and legacy workflows are hindering broader adoption and impact.
AI adoption patterns
The ServiceNow Enterprise AI Maturity Index revealed a reduction in AI investment with Singapore seeing a 4% decrease, Japan a 3.3% decrease, Australia 3%, and India 2.1%. These figures indicate a hesitancy in pursuing further spending even as enthusiasm for AI's potential remains high among senior management. The Index pointed to integration challenges as a potential factor affecting these trends.
The new agentic workforce management solution allows organisations to manage AI agents in a way similar to human employees. Organisations can now onboard, assign roles, and incorporate AI agents into teams, with ServiceNow stating that this approach is designed to allow people to work side by side with AI for tangible business outcomes.
Operational impact
ServiceNow reports that early use of its agentic workforce has led to significant operational efficiencies, including automation of 97% of software provisioning requests and a reduction in internal IT service desk volume by 40%. Additional claims include a 50% improvement in customer support case resolution times. The company also notes that IT operations and security teams using its agentic workforce have experienced automation of 85% of routine internal support requests, aiding departmental scalability by more than 40%. "AI isn't just reshaping how we work, it's redefining what it takes to win. This moment requires bold investment in our people and a shared commitment to learn, adapt, and lead in new ways," said Jacqui Canney, Chief People and AI Enablement Officer at ServiceNow. "When we design work with AI and put people at the center, we create momentum that drives real business impact."
Workflow integration
The agentic workforce concept is based on orchestration of AI agents that collaborate, learn, and accept feedback from human managers. ServiceNow highlights its single-platform approach, which is intended to support agentic AI across the business rather than in isolated, task-specific areas. Through this model, AI agents complete work autonomously while adhering to governance structures defined by human management.
Examples provided include AI agents managing IT service tickets, applying security patches, producing reports for human supervisors, and carrying out software installations and upgrades. Customer support was also highlighted, where the agentic workforce reportedly resolves 80% of complex administration and maintenance cases, with a claimed 50% reduction in resolution times within months for ServiceNow customers. "We run ServiceNow on ServiceNow and are proof that organizations don't need thousands of siloed AI agents chasing tasks. Instead, it's about having the right combination of AI agents in the right roles, with the right context, integrated with humans and working across the enterprise to unlock higher‐value work, foster innovation, and drive productivity," said Kellie Romack, Chief Digital Information Officer, ServiceNow. "With strong governance, clearly defined responsibilities, performance tracking, and oversight from human managers, we've created a model for scaling the agentic workforce that delivers exponential value."
Governance and oversight
ServiceNow has positioned agentic workforce management as an extension of its AI Control Tower, introduced in May, which focuses on oversight and governance of AI agents at enterprise scale. This system is designed to provide human managers with transparency into AI agent operations and performance, including metrics such as customer sentiment and system uptime.
Through the AI Control Tower and other orchestration tools, organisations can direct teams of AI agents across different ecosystems to fulfil defined organisational goals, while ensuring compliance and safe use of AI technologies. The intent is to keep governance and ethical standards central to expanded AI deployment across enterprise departments. "Enterprises aren't asking if they'll adopt agentic‐enabled ways of working anymore; they're wrestling with how to frame responsibly," said Amy Loomis, Ph.D., Research Vice President, IDC. "With trust and governance just as critical as productivity, ServiceNow's integrated approach positions it as a leading voice in defining how organizations manage the relationship between workers and AI agents at scale."
ServiceNow cited a Gartner survey stating that 97% of CEOs are interested in combining human and machine capabilities to enhance organisational performance, indicating broader executive awareness of AI's role in workforce transformation.
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