Who should use this guide
Summarize
Summary of Who should use this guide
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of agentic development on the ServiceNow AI Platform, detailing approaches from fully automated code generation to collaborative AI-assisted workflows. It is designed to help ServiceNow developers understand how AI can accelerate and enhance app development within the platform.
Show less
Intended Audience
The guide targets ServiceNow developers across experience levels who are interested in integrating AI into their development processes, including:
- Developers new to ServiceNow but experienced in full-stack development, familiar with AI-assisted coding tools, or evaluating AI’s role in development workflows.
- Experienced ServiceNow developers seeking to incorporate AI tools to improve development speed and efficiency, and to determine the best AI tools for their use cases.
Note: Usage of Build Agent requires the admin role.
Key Content Covered
- An explanation of the spectrum of agentic development approaches, from autonomous code generation prioritizing speed and simplicity, to AI as a collaborative assistant emphasizing code understanding and maintainability.
- Overview of ServiceNow AI development capabilities and tools that align with different development philosophies and workflows.
- Guidance on effectively using AI in development, including best practices for reviewing, refining, and testing AI-generated code.
What Is Not Covered
The guide does not address low-code/no-code tools like Creator Studio or Catalog Builder, traditional non-AI ServiceNow development, or detailed product-specific documentation, though links to dedicated resources for Build Agent, Now Assist for Creator, and others are provided.
Considerations for Developers
When using this guide, developers should assess:
- Their technical comfort level with IDEs and code review versus preference for simpler tools.
- Whether they want to maintain full control and understanding of AI-generated code or prefer AI to handle implementation details.
- Their specific use cases, such as building custom apps, extending existing functionality, or automating workflows, to choose the most appropriate AI development approach.
This guide provides a holistic view of agentic development on the ServiceNow AI Platform. It helps you understand the range of agentic development approaches available, from fully automated code generation to agentic development workflows.
Intended audience
- ServiceNow developers who want to use AI to accelerate app development on ServiceNow. You may be:
- New to ServiceNow but experienced with full-stack development
- Familiar with AI-assisted coding tools and wanting to understand the capabilities of the ServiceNow AI Platform
- Looking to evaluate how AI can fit into your development workflow
- Interested in understanding when to use different AI development approaches
- ServiceNow developers who want to incorporate AI into their existing workflows. You may be:
- Experienced with the ServiceNow platform and wanting to explore AI tooling
- Looking to improve development speed and efficiency
- Seeking guidance on general guidelines for agentic development
- Evaluating which AI tools best fit your use case
What this guide covers
- Autonomous code generation: At one end of the spectrum, agentic development involves providing a high-level description and letting AI generate, test, and deploy code without manual review. This approach prioritizes speed and simplicity.
- Agentic development: At the other end of the spectrum, AI serves as a collaborative tool that generates code suggestions, automates repetitive tasks, and accelerates development, while developers review, refine, and maintain ownership of the final code. This approach emphasizes understanding and supportability.
ServiceNow provides tools across the development spectrum. This guide helps you understand:
- What AI development capabilities are available on ServiceNow
- Which tools align with your development philosophy and use case
- How to effectively use AI in your ServiceNow development workflow
- General guidelines for reviewing, refining, and testing AI-generated code
What this guide does not cover
This guide focuses on agentic development tools and workflows. It does not cover the following topics:
- Low-code/no-code development tools like Creator Studio or Catalog Builder
- Traditional ServiceNow development without AI assistance
- Detailed product-specific documentation (links are provided to dedicated product docs)
For comprehensive product documentation, see the dedicated documentation for Build Agent, Now Assist for Creator, and other ServiceNow development tools.
Understanding your needs
- Your technical expertise: Are you comfortable working in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with a file system and reviewing generated code? Or do you prefer tools that handle more of the technical complexity?
- Your development philosophy: Do you want to understand and maintain the code AI generates, or do you prefer to let AI handle implementation details while you focus on outcomes?
- Your use case: Are you building custom applications from scratch, extending existing ServiceNow functionality, or automating specific workflows?
Different AI development approaches and tools will be better suited to different needs. This guide helps you identify the right approach for your situation.