---
sourceDocument: Australia ServiceNow AI Platform Administration
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration

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    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia ServiceNow AI Platform Administration

ft:clusterId :

    - platadm

bundleId :

    - platadm

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Search disparities in AI Search and ServiceNow Otto

# Search result disparities between AI Search and ServiceNow Otto search features {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Australia
* 
* Updated July 24, 2026
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read

The ServiceNow AI Platform® offers a variety of search tools, which may return different answers for the same or similar searches. This disparity in results is expected. It occurs because each tool uses a different approach and
architecture to find results and generate answers that match your search.
As an example of the same search returning different answers in different search tools, consider these results that might be displayed to a user searching for <kbd class="ph userinput">what is my travel policy</kbd>:Figure 1. Search results from AI Search in Employee Center Figure 2. Genius Result answer from Summary Genius Result configuration Figure 3. Chat answer from ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent

In this example, each search tool returns a different answer even though the user's search (or question) is the same in all three tools. This is expected behavior, since the search tools all handle searches differently.

## AI Search {#search-disparities-ai-search-now-assist__section_cy5_4pq_xgc}

The AI Search engine uses keyword search, meaning that it looks for the best matches for your search terms in its indexed source data. Search features such as lemma and Unicode normalization, synonyms, stop
words, and typo handling may modify the set of terms that AI Search considers matches for your search, but the matching is always done on a per-term basis.

Keyword search should return consistent results for the same search until your source data is updated. Machine learning relevancy can affect the exact order in which your results appear over time, though, so even if your data
doesn't change, your search may not return exactly the same result set today as it did the previous month.

## ServiceNow Otto Genius Results {#search-disparities-ai-search-now-assist__section_kj1_ppq_xgc}

The ServiceNow Otto Genius Result configurations offered in ServiceNow Otto for AI Search use a hybrid search mode. This mode blends keyword search with semantic vector search to find results in the AI Search index based on the intention and meaning of your search as well as on the best term matches.  
The most relevant matching results are merged into a prompt that's sent to a large language model (LLM) for answer generation. Because LLMs aren't deterministic, they don't always produce the same output even when given the same input. As a result of the non-deterministic behavior of the LLM, ServiceNow Otto Genius Results are likely to return varying results for the same search, even when submitted at the same time.  
Note:  
For more information on how LLMs introduce variations into their results, see [Discrepancies when using different AI search tools](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=aisearch-differences&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US).

Between the non-deterministic LLM behavior and the difference in search matching modes, ServiceNow Otto Genius Result answers can be expected to vary significantly from results returned by AI Search for the same search terms, even when using the same search configuration in both tools. This variance is expected because the two search tools take such different approaches when finding and generating
answers for your search.

## ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent {#search-disparities-ai-search-now-assist__section_jsb_ppq_xgc}

ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent uses
hybrid search to find matching results in the AI Search index, like the ServiceNow Otto Genius Result configurations do.

Unlike those Genius Result configurations, however, ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent has its own agentic AI back-end architecture for generating responses. This architecture doesn't rely on sending a single prompt to the LLM for answer creation the way the ServiceNow Otto Genius Result architecture does.  
Because of this architectural difference, results from ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent searches can vary from those returned by ServiceNow Otto Genius Results, even when processing the same search and using the same search configuration. Similarly, ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent results may vary from the results returned by AI Search keyword searches.  
Note:  
If you're seeing different results for the same search in ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent than you are in AI Search and ServiceNow Otto Genius Results, it's worth checking that your ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent chat assistant uses the same search configuration as your portal's search field does. For details on copying an existing search configuration to a chat assistant, see [Assign search sources to a chat assistant](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=add-info-sources-assistant&version=australia&pubname=australia-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US).

As previously described, using the same search configuration in the portal and your chat assistant doesn't guarantee that you will see exactly the same search results in ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent as you see in the portal using AI Search, but it does remove one possible source of difference.

## Summary of differences between search tools {#search-disparities-ai-search-now-assist__section_whq_smy_xgc}

The following table summarizes some of the key differences between AI Search, ServiceNow Otto Genius Results, and ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent.{#search-disparities-ai-search-now-assist__table_trh_vmy_xgc__entry__4}

| Search tool | Search mode | Interaction | LLM usage |
|-|-|-|-|
| AI Search | Keyword search | Query-based (search field) | None |
| ServiceNow Otto Genius Results | Hybrid (blend of keyword and semantic vector) search | Query-based (search field) | Most relevant search results sent to LLM in a single prompt for answer generation |
| ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent | Hybrid (blend of keyword and semantic vector) search | Conversation-based (chat) | Agentic AI which maintains conversational context when submitting prompts to LLM |
[ ]

{#search-disparities-ai-search-now-assist__table_trh_vmy_xgc}
**Related concepts**   

* [Lemma and Unicode normalization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6Fbn~REzz5F_YfroOW6zaw "AI Search normalizes inflected words and Unicode glyphs during indexing and at search query time. Normalization improves search recall and enables users to find content with variant forms of their search query terms.")
* [Synonyms](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BTOwKD3uhCQnDp5Nb8LfEg "Synonyms expand search queries to include additional terms with equivalent meaning or usage. Improve search recall by configuring synonym dictionaries and defining synonyms.")
* [Stop words](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/eiiQAp3yVs1voI~53xB_VA "Stop words remove search query terms that don't produce meaningful results. Improve search precision and relevancy by configuring stop word dictionaries and defining stop words.")
* [Typo handling](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/g21GoEvGiHwb9MC3XfCgzg "AI Search replaces misspelled search query terms with auto-correction terms derived from indexed content. Configure typo handling dictionary settings to control derivation of auto-correction terms.")
* [Machine learning relevancy in AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wZNsmW2FRQw9rtgavvmRZQ "AI Search displays the most relevant search results for a query first. Machine learning automatically tunes search result relevancy scoring for search experiences based on aggregated user interactions.")
* [Semantic vector search in AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/2DCULyElDqaFQk0zc_7vQw "Semantic vector search enables the Now LLM Service to find results based on how similar they are in meaning to your search terms. Knowledge base articles Genius Results and ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent use semantic vector search to improve recall with natural language interpretation of search queries.")
* [Hybrid search in AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5xY2JDhuV0iL6jepShi0nw "In hybrid search mode, AI Search blends keyword search and semantic vector search to find results that best match the terms and meaning of your search.")
* [Summary Genius Results](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CS5LDmcfHQLxqDypQy2rXQ "Summary Genius Results use an LLM to generate search and chat responses that synthesize information from knowledge articles, Service Catalog items, and other available content types.")
* [Knowledge base articles Genius Results](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/xDtItdWvfRh~~I2mXnNuFg "Knowledge base articles Genius Results use the LLM to generate concise, actionable answers from knowledge article results in Service Portal, Virtual Agent, Employee Center, and global searches.")
* [Actions Genius Results](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/y75TnIsS7GkUCpTPG6VW7w "Genius Results display actionable answers showing Catalog Items and Virtual Agent topics that match your search query. AI Search matches records based on their similarity to your search's intent and meaning instead of looking for exact term matches.")  
**Related topics**   

* [ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=now-assist-in-va-landing&version=australia&pubname=australia-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US)