What it is (plain English)
ServiceNow's generative-AI layer woven across the platform: summarizing long incidents and cases, drafting replies and knowledge articles, answering in natural language, and assisting developers. It's not a standalone product but an accelerant applied on top of the workflows you already run.
Problems it solves
- Agents spending time reading long case/incident histories.
- Slow, inconsistent drafting of responses and knowledge.
- Users needing conversational, natural answers rather than keyword search.
- Developers writing boilerplate by hand.
What must exist first
Platform Core Setup and the specific product it assists (Now Assist is licensed and enabled per product — ITSM, CSM, HRSD, etc.), so that underlying module must be live.
What the customer needs to provide
- Which use cases matter (summarization, reply drafting, code assist, etc.).
- Data-governance decisions on what AI may access and generate.
- Quality/oversight expectations and a review approach.
- Adoption plan — the value is realized only if agents use it.
Where it can go next
Enhances Incident Management, CSM Case Management, HR Service Delivery (HRSD), Virtual Agent, and App Engine; expands as new Now Assist skills ship each release.