AI Desktop Actions

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated October 12, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of AI Desktop Actions

    ServiceNow AI Desktop Actions enables customers to automate repetitive desktop and web tasks using AI agents. These agents can autonomously or semi-autonomously generate execution plans and run desktop actions across legacy systems, thick client applications, and web applications—even those without APIs. The solution supports multi-step tasks with conditional logic, adapts to real-time changes in application state and user interfaces, and helps detect and recover from errors by evaluating context and trying alternatives when needed.

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    Types of Desktop Actions

    • Defined Path Desktop Actions: These are deterministic tasks where a fixed sequence of steps is recorded and executed exactly as defined. They are ideal for repeatable tasks with consistent steps and predictable UI interactions on both desktop and web environments.
    • Adaptive Path Desktop Actions: These probabilistic actions are designed for web-based tasks where high-level goals are specified, and the AI dynamically determines the execution steps. They are best suited for tasks requiring flexibility, decision-making, or adapting to changing UI elements.

    Getting Started and Usage

    • Learn AI Desktop Actions concepts and features to understand capabilities.
    • Configure the platform to automate desktop tasks effectively.
    • Design automations for legacy applications lacking APIs.
    • Create custom AI agents with advanced multi-agent reasoning frameworks.
    • Use the AI Desktop Actions application to execute automations through AI agents.

    Important Considerations

    • Availability of AI models and features varies by region, customer environment, and compliance requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, NSC DOD IL5, Australia IRAP-Protected data centers, self-hosted customers).
    • Customers should regularly check for updates on model provider availability and feature accessibility.
    • AI-generated content may not always be accurate or appropriate; customers must test outputs, maintain human oversight, and avoid sole reliance on AI for critical decisions.
    • Data used by AI Desktop Actions is transferred to centralized ServiceNow environments and possibly third-party cloud providers, managed according to ServiceNow's internal policies and compliance standards.
    • ServiceNow collects input, output, and script usage data to improve AI capabilities, with customers having the option to opt out of data collection.

    Resources

    • ServiceNow Community forums for Workflow Automation product discussions.
    • Known Error Portal for troubleshooting and known issues.
    • Customer Service and Support for direct assistance.

    ServiceNow® AI Desktop Actions enables you to design, configure, and manage desktop actions that automate repetitive tasks in your desktop and web environment. AI agents can autonomously and semi-autonomously process instructions, generate execution plans, and run desktop actions across legacy systems, thick client applications, and web applications without APIs.

    • Automating multi-step desktop or web tasks that involve conditional logic, so agents can focus on work that needs a human touch.
    • Adapting to changes in application state and UI in real-time, reducing the need to maintain rigid scripts.
    • Helping detect and recover from errors by evaluating context and trying alternative approaches when something doesn't go as expected.

    Types of desktop actions

    There are two types of desktop actions: defined path and adaptive path. Both enable AI agents to automate tasks on behalf of users, but they differ in how steps are designed and executed, what applications they support, and how they handle variation in the user interface.

    Defined desktop actions for desktop and web-based tasks (deterministic)
    With defined path desktop actions, you record with AI or capture a fixed sequence of steps in the AI Desktop Actions Windows application. The AI agent executes these predefined steps in order without deviation.

    Best for: Repeatable tasks with consistent steps and predictable UI interactions.

    Adaptive desktop actions for web-based tasks (probabilistic)
    With adaptive path desktop actions, you describe what task you want to accomplish at a high level in the tool configuration for web-based tasks. The web-based tasks include performing tasks on web applications or websites. The AI agent processes the request, generates an execution plan, and dynamically determines the specific steps needed to complete the task.

    Best for: Tasks that require flexibility, decision-making, or adaptation to changing UI elements.

    For more information, see When to use adaptive vs. defined path desktop actions.

    Get started

    Important:
    • Not all model providers are available for customers with in-country SKUs, and some AI products/features are currently unavailable for in-country customers. For more information, see the KB1584492 article in the Now Support Knowledge Base. Be sure to check for model provider availability updates in future releases.
    • Some AI products/features are currently unavailable for customers in the FedRAMP, NSC DOD IL5, or Australia IRAP-Protected data centers, self-hosted customers, or in other restricted environments. For more information, see the KB0743854 article in the Now Support Knowledge Base. Be sure to check for availability updates in future releases.
    • Some AI products/features are currently available only for customers in some regions. Be sure to check for availability updates in future releases.
    • Some AI products and skills are not available in Regulated Markets. For more information, see KB2593939: Regulated Markets AI Products/Skills Not Available. Be sure to check for availability updates in future releases.

    Helpful resources

    AI limitations

    This application uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, which are rapidly evolving fields of study that generate predictions based on patterns in data. As a result, this application may not always produce accurate, complete, or appropriate information. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that this application has been fully trained or tested for your use case. To mitigate these issues, it is your responsibility to test and evaluate your use of this application for accuracy, harm, and appropriateness for your use case, employ human oversight of output, and refrain from relying solely on AI-generated outputs for decision-making purposes. This is especially important if you choose to deploy this application in areas with consequential impacts such as healthcare, finance, legal, employment, security, or infrastructure. You agree to abide by ServiceNow’s AI Acceptable Use Policy, which may be updated by ServiceNow.

    Data processing

    This application requires data to be transferred from ServiceNow customers' individual instances to a centralized ServiceNow environment, which may be located in a different data center region from the one where your instance is, and potentially to a third-party cloud provider, such as Microsoft Azure. This data is handled per ServiceNow's internal policies and procedures, including our policies available through our CORE Compliance Portal.

    Data collection

    ServiceNow collects and uses the inputs, outputs, and edits to outputs of this application to develop and improve ServiceNow technologies including ServiceNow models and AI products. In addition, this application will collect information about scripts (and associated script records) in which Now Assist for code generation is called. Customers can opt out of future data collection at any time, as described in the Now Assist Opt-Out page.

    For more information, see the Now Assist documentation.