AI Search release notes

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 20, 2025
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of AI Search Release Notes Washington DC

    The ServiceNow® AI Search application has been enhanced in the Washington DC release, offering an improved search experience with features designed to increase recall, performance, and usability for users of the ServiceNow AI Platform®.

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    Key Features

    • Knowledge Block Indexing: AI Search now includes content from knowledge blocks to enhance search recall.
    • Enhanced Multi-Term Search: A new option, "AND then OR 2+ key terms," improves performance for queries with two search terms by limiting automatic query resubmissions.
    • Natural Language Query Genius Results: This feature surfaces relevant results from large tables using plain language, displaying suggested source tables and allowing record previews.
    • Semantic Vector Search: An alternate search mode that retrieves results based on the meaning and intent of search terms, improving the relevance of results.
    • Synonym Matching: Retains terms defined as stop words during synonym evaluations, ensuring consistent search results.

    Key Outcomes

    After upgrading to Washington DC, customers can expect:

    • Improved search recall and performance, especially for knowledge articles and multi-term queries.
    • Updated Genius Result configurations that enhance search logic and usability.
    • Efficiency in searching user records, though manual reindexing of the User table may be necessary to ensure the latest configurations are searchable.

    AI Search is active by default and supports multiple languages, enhancing accessibility for global users.

    The ServiceNow® AI Search application provides a consumer-grade search experience for ServiceNow AI Platform® users. AI Search was enhanced and updated in the Washington DC release.

    AI Search highlights for the Washington DC release

    Washington DC Patch 9:
    • Expand search recall by indexing content from knowledge blocks.
    Washington DC:
    • Display concise, actionable answers for plain language searches using Natural Language Query Genius Results.
    • Increase search performance by skipping automatic query resubmission for searches with two search terms.
    • Improve recall and consistency for synonym searches by retaining search terms defined as stop words.

    See AI Search for more information.

    Important information for upgrading AI Search to Washington DC

    Washington DC Patch 9:
    Washington DC:
    • When you upgrade to Washington DC, AI Search automatically updates your existing Genius Result configurations to use the new AI Search Genius Result Configuration form fields. This update procedure makes the following changes:
      • Removes existing Genius result answer type field values.
      • Migrates Genius result logic field values to the new AI Search request processor and AI Search response processor fields as appropriate.
    • After you upgrade your instance to Washington DC, AI Search retains the value that you previously set for the Boolean search operator to use when a search query includes multiple terms ( glide.ais.query.search_operator ) system property. To gain the benefits of the new enhanced query mode for multi-term searches, set this system property's value to AND then OR 2+ key terms. For details on AI Search system properties, see AI Search system properties.
    • Starting in Washington DC, the User [sys_user] table defaults to sorting indexed records by their sys_created_on dates instead of sorting them by their sys_updated_on dates. This change requires reindexing of the User table indexed source for AI Search, which can be time-consuming. When you upgrade to Washington DC from a previous family release, AI Search does not automatically reindex the User table indexed source. If you need to be able to search the latest configuration for user records, you can manually reindex the User table indexed source, which may take some time. Otherwise, AI Search will reindex individual User table records as they're updated until all records have been reindexed.

    New in the Washington DC release

    (Washington DC Patch 9) Knowledge block content indexing
    When you index knowledge articles for search, AI Search now includes content from knowledge blocks to improve search recall.
    AND then OR 2+ key terms option for multi-term search queries
    Improve search performance for queries with two search terms using the new AND then OR 2+ key terms value for the Boolean search operator to use when a search query includes multiple terms ( glide.ais.query.search_operator ) system property. When this value is set, AI Search only performs automatic query resubmission if the search query includes more than two search terms after stop words are removed. AND then OR 2+ key terms is the default value for instances zBooted in Washington DC.
    Natural Language Query Genius Results
    Surface relevant search results from large source tables by adding Natural Language Query (NLQ) Genius Results to your AI Search applications. NLQ Genius Results interpret your searches using plain language to find source tables with relevant results. The NLQ Genius Result answer card displays the suggested source tables, combining results from Analytics Overview and CMDB table queries. You can preview records from each suggested table directly from the Genius Result answer card.
    Semantic vector search
    Find results that match the meaning and intent of your search terms. Semantic vector search is an alternate search mode that overrides the default lexical search mode. Now Assist in Virtual Agent uses semantic vector search to retrieve Catalog Items and topics. Now Assist in AI Search uses semantic vector search to find cached answers for Now Assist Q&A Genius Results.

    Changed in this release

    Synonym matching and expansion retains terms defined as stop words
    When evaluating synonym matches and expansions, AI Search retains search query terms defined as stop words. This behavior helps ensure that synonym matches return consistent results no matter which version of a synonym a user searches for.
    Field changes on AI Search Genius Result Configuration form
    On the AI Search Genius Result Configuration form, the Genius result answer type choice field has been removed. The Genius result logic script field has been replaced with separate AI Search request processor and AI Search response processor script fields.

    Deprecations

    Starting with the Now Assist in AI Search 8.0 release, the External Content Q&A Genius Results feature is being prepared for future deprecation. It will continue to be supported until it is deprecated. For details, see the Deprecation Process [KB0867184] article in the Now Support Knowledge Base.

    Activation information

    AI Search is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.

    Browser requirements

    AI Search does not support Internet Explorer.

    Localization information

    AI Search supports international languages. For details of language support by feature, see Internationalization support for AI Search.

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