What are the emerging trends and innovations in service desk automation and AI that you are excited about?

1 Chatbots and virtual assistants

One of the most visible and popular applications of service desk automation and AI is the use of chatbots and virtual assistants to handle common queries, requests, and issues. Chatbots and virtual assistants can provide instant responses, reduce the workload of human agents, and improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. They can also leverage natural language processing, machine learning, and knowledge bases to understand the context, intent, and emotions of the customers, and provide personalized and relevant solutions. Chatbots and virtual assistants can also escalate complex or sensitive cases to human agents, and learn from their feedback and actions.

3 Self-service and self-healing

A third innovation that is revolutionizing the service desk automation and AI landscape is the empowerment of customers and end-users to solve their own problems, or enable the systems to heal themselves. Self-service and self-healing can leverage technologies such as knowledge management, gamification, automation, and AI to provide customers and end-users with easy-to-use tools, resources, and guidance to troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix their issues. They can also enable the systems to detect, isolate, and repair faults, errors, or malfunctions, without human intervention. Self-service and self-healing can also improve the efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction of both customers and service desk agents.

4 Cognitive automation and orchestration

A fourth trend that is driving the evolution of service desk automation and AI is the integration of cognitive automation and orchestration to automate and optimize complex and dynamic processes and workflows. Cognitive automation and orchestration can combine the capabilities of automation, AI, and cloud computing to execute tasks, decisions, and actions across multiple systems, platforms, and domains. They can also adapt to changing conditions, requirements, and preferences, and learn from their outcomes and feedback. Cognitive automation and orchestration can also enhance the agility, scalability, and performance of the service desk operations.

5 Augmented reality and remote assistance

A fifth innovation that is enhancing the service desk automation and AI domain is the application of augmented reality and remote assistance to provide immersive and interactive support to customers and end-users. Augmented reality and remote assistance can use technologies such as smart glasses, smartphones, tablets, or wearables to overlay digital information, instructions, or images on the physical environment or objects. They can also enable real-time communication, collaboration, and guidance between customers, end-users, and service desk agents, or between service desk agents and experts. Augmented reality and remote assistance can also improve the quality, accuracy, and speed of the support delivery.

6 Ethical and human-centric AI

A sixth trend that is influencing the direction of service desk automation and AI is the consideration of ethical and human-centric AI principles and practices. Ethical and human-centric AI can ensure that the service desk automation and AI solutions are designed, developed, deployed, and monitored with respect for the values, rights, and interests of the customers, end-users, service desk agents, and other stakeholders. They can also ensure that the service desk automation and AI solutions are transparent, accountable, fair, secure, and trustworthy. Ethical and human-centric AI can also foster a culture of collaboration, empowerment, and innovation among the service desk teams.