Artificial intelligence and automation are now firmly embedded in modern service processes. They are driving change, characterized by significantly more intelligent processes that go beyond traditional workflow automation.
This article explains how companies can use these technological advancements in the most effective and meaningful way within the service desk.
Note: In this article, we use the term “AI” broadly to include its application in automation.
The Benefits: What Do AI and Automation Achieve in the Service Desk?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation help organizations better meet customer expectations. Service desks can now automatically analyze, prioritize, and in some cases immediately resolve requests, making IT support faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective. At the same time, the use of AI improves service quality, availability (24/7 support), and scalability.
Typical use cases include:
- AI chatbots
- Self-service
- Workflow automation
- Automatic ticket creation and routing
- Automated email responses
- Customer sentiment detection
As hyperautomation continues to advance, the range of possibilities expands. Agentic AI can already make autonomous decisions and execute sequential tasks. AI-powered knowledge bases provide easy, fast access to information, while AI-generated summaries offer quick overviews of relevant content.
As a result, AI is becoming increasingly critical for service management, particularly ITSM, as also highlighted in our report “The State of SMB IT for 2026.” A full 71 percent of surveyed IT leaders in SMBs consider AI essential for success in ITSM.
What Are the Key Capabilities?
AI and advanced automation enable an intelligent service desk that is fast, always available, consistent, and highly reliable.
Its key capabilities include:
- Virtual support agents
- Ticket classification and service descriptions
- AI-generated responses
- Real-time translations
- AI-powered knowledge bases
- Sentiment analysis
- Predictive analytics and maintenance
- Automated reporting and documentation
Traditional vs. AI-Powered Service Desk
The following table shows how the above AI capabilities compare to a traditional service desk:
Overall, these capabilities enable intelligent automation that sets new standards for efficient, streamlined, and less error-prone processes. It is essential to orchestrate AI and automation together to create intelligent service delivery.
The Steps to Make the Best Use of AI and Automation
AI and automation are powerful tools in service environments, but they require a well-thought-out implementation. Using them in a fragmented, isolated, or overly generic way rarely delivers the desired value. Instead, organizations should carefully evaluate how to achieve meaningful and measurable improvements with these technologies.
The following steps provide a practical roadmap:
Step 1 – Identify the Most Relevant Areas
AI and automation are more effective in certain areas than others. Which areas these are depends heavily on the organization and industry. Common applications in service and support include classification, prioritization, and response generation.
In any case, it is advisable to optimize processes before introducing AI and automation, as otherwise there is a risk of automating errors and inefficient workflows.
Step 2 – Select the Right Tools and Technologies
Different tools, features, and applications serve different purposes and types of organizations. Selection should not only focus on AI capabilities and automation features themselves, but also on factors such as consulting support and licensing models.
For initial adoption, it is recommended to start with testing and to choose a flexible, scalable model for AI usage.
Step 3 – Create Integrations
Isolated tools cannot perform effectively because they lack data, context, and additional information. Therefore, AI-based solutions must be well integrated into the existing tool landscape of a company. This ensures uninterrupted workflows and seamless data exchange.
Step 4 – Involve Stakeholders
For successful implementation of AI and automation technologies, stakeholders must be aligned and informed early on. It is crucial to clearly communicate the benefits and address potential concerns proactively.
To ensure that an AI solution meets the needs of various stakeholders, a high level of collaboration is required.
Step 5 – Start with a Pilot Project
Before rolling out AI and automation solutions organization-wide, it makes sense to test them in a pilot project. This allows potential challenges or inconsistencies to be identified and resolved early, before they can cause real issues.
Step 6 – Gather Experience and Learn
Even after a pilot project, continuous learning remains essential: What works where? Which AI application can be used more efficiently? Which automation has proven valuable and which has not?
The guiding principle is: collect data, evaluate it, and draw conclusions.
Step 7 – Continuously Improve the Application
Continuous improvement is not only a key best practice but also a highly effective approach to successfully implementing AI and automation technologies.
Many organizations make the mistake of paying too little attention to technologies after their initial deployment. To achieve meaningful impact and strong performance, a continuous improvement cycle is required.
What Matters Most When Working with AI
The use of artificial intelligence and advanced automation continues to expand in ITSM and other service areas. Both their advantages and disadvantages are now widely understood. The focus now is on leveraging the benefits effectively while clearly addressing potential concerns.
It is true that AI and automation will never completely replace human work and creativity and they are not meant to. Instead, a productive coexistence between human and machine capabilities is essential.
“I believe what sets AI apart from other technologies is that it will bring humans and machines closer together. AI is sometimes mistakenly portrayed as a machine that replaces people. But machines are not meant to replace humans, they are meant to complement them.”
Robin Bordoli
VP Global Revenue, Weights & Biases, CoreWeave
Organizations both in service and support and beyond should now focus on three key actions:
- Deploy AI features within a meaningful framework
- Leverage essential human skills for the AI era
- Combine both effectively and in a well-balanced way
Conclusion: Expand AI and Automation Step by Step
Artificial intelligence and automation are an integral part of modern service processes. For many organizations, the question is no longer whether to use them, but how. The goal is to realize relevant benefits, leverage meaningful AI capabilities, and apply automation strategically.
This requires the right steps and an iterative approach in the service desk. The technology should be implemented in a targeted manner, starting with areas where it can make the greatest impact and where readiness is highest. Organizations are well advised to experiment, gain experience, and gradually but steadily optimize and expand their use of AI and automation.
Learn how OTRS can support you with AI and automation.