Unless you have been living in a cave over the last two years, then you be aware of the buzz and fearmongering about artificial intelligence (AI). Where are the implications of AI within IT support? What can your IT service desk do about it? This blog focuses on the AI usage cases currently being adopted by IT support teams, as well as the general level of interest and adoption. The blog will offer five recommendations to help you prepare your IT service desk for AI. These are the current applications of AI within IT Support. I will skip the discussion about what AI is. Instead, I'll jump into the use cases that are currently being offered to IT support teams and being implemented by IT support teams (plus other teams).

Tips for preparing your IT Service Desk. In light of these statistics and possibilities, you might be wondering where to begin your AI journey with your IT service desk. Here are five tips to aid you in preparing your IT service desk for AI.

Get started now. The key lesson from early-adopting IT service teams, along with other areas, is that AI adoption might be slower than you anticipated. It's not about simply switching on the technology. This could result in your business to be slower in implementing AI. A lack of appropriate budgets doesn't mean you have to be excused here as you can start a preliminary investigation and research through successful customers of technology vendors and your peers an affordable initial step. This will aid in establishing and supporting your business argument for AI-enablement when the time is right for your artificial intelligence help desk. Learn more about the technology available, beginning with your current ITSM vendor. Also, look at what your competitors are working on; this will not just highlight potential opportunities but also their mistakes and the technologies they've considered and finally decided to choose. This is to help you understand the potential of AI. It is crucial to keep your eyes at the challenges and issues your business faces, not the technology itself. This may include dealing with staff shortages or the need to solve issues faster.

Deal with AI's "elephant in the room" ASAP. Deal with the AI-adoption "elephant within the room" promptly. This is a great opportunity for employees to understand that AI will replace routine IT support functions, but not roles. As AI becomes available employees will be able to ask "What's it in it for me?". That includes the opportunity to be free from mundane, low-value work and the chance to improve their skills and take on higher-paying jobs.

Instruct the public on the various applications AI is and can be employed for. This will help you with tip number 2 and will help you control your expectations about AI. Of course the IT help vision of AI could also encompass long-term capabilities that aren't there yet.

Check that you workflow automation is equipped with the right skills to be able to make the right decisions for AI adoption. Don't underestimate the importance of knowledge management to AI success - knowledge is a vital fuel for machine-learning-powered capabilities. To evaluate the status quo and comprehend the current knowledge you have, you will first need to assess the quality of it. Then, it's likely to be followed by a further investment to ensure the availability of everything necessary - knowledge-wise - to be successful. For example, an IT chatbot for support requires knowledge in order to function and this is being applicable to scripted chatbots as well as those that rely on machine learning. The initial point of reference for an IT support chatbot to know what service desk analysts know is the i.e. what's contained within your captured knowledge FAQs and articles.

Both the frontend and backend possibilities for AI (and Automation) are worthy of consideration. The majority of the attention paid to AI right now is on virtual assistants and chatbots. As with IT self-service, where organizations were happy with their Amazon-like interface, but didn't implement backend automation to help with fulfillment - don't miss this big opportunity for increased speed, reduced costs, and a better employee experience.