Over 90% of UK Public Sector Organisations are not using AI in ITSM. Why not?

Ever since HAL went rogue in 2001 and Skynet turned on it's human creators, people have been wary of AI - article over -

But what about AI within Service Management? Surely that poses no existential threat to humanity?

So why aren't more organisations (public sector that is) currently using it?

Following on from research and answering more questions from this article here "Are you using AI in ITSM?" I'm exploring the perhaps more interesting output from this given the 90% current non adoption rate!

I asked the question

Q: Are you currently using AI in your Service Management function? If not, why not?

Not currently using AI within your IT Service Management function?

Out of ~400 public sector organisations (Local Councils and NHS Trusts) who responded by the time this was published, we can see a real mix of solution sets in place, so arguably it's not down to any particular vendor!

If not, why not? actual quote below ??

You can likely guess why many of these organisations haven't currently adopted AI functionality, but there were a couple of surprising reasons given.

Top reasons given as to why AI implementation in IT Service Management (ITSM) is NOT currently planned:

?? Existing contracts with suppliers and lack of identified demand.

?? No strategic need, budget constraints, or perceived lack of value.

?? AI solutions and market immaturity, along with resource limitations.

?? Ongoing evaluation, other priorities, and higher resource allocation elsewhere.

?? Limited benefits or unreliable current solutions, and no immediate necessity.

?? Exploration and consideration for future implementation, but not in the near term.

?? Implementation in other areas with potential future expansion to ITSM.

?? No established AI policy or firm decision made yet.

?? Early-stage discussions about implementing chatbot type features.

?? Can't open the pod bay doors.

In brief, constraints such as contracts, budget, and perceived value, along with ongoing evaluation and exploration, currently appear to hinder AI integration within ITSM functions.

So, vendors, what are you doing to help overcome the apparent disinterest in adoption here? Leave a comment and let us know!

Similarly, organisations - what would help you make a determination to introduce AI?

• Free trials?
• Solid use cases?
• Evidenced ROI for your specific vertical?
• Something else?

Let us know in the comments ??

Leading into my next article, here is a view on what the public sector looks like with respect to adoption of AI capability over the next 12months

If you're thinking about introducing #AI capability within your service management function, or are interested in other ways to achieve the outcomes you're looking for - but are uncertain where best to start, get in touch with the team at Xcession Ltd for an exploratory conversation - we'd be happy to share our experiences and knowledge around this and help you get started ????

Footnote - stats compiled and current as of Freedom of Information (FOI) research carried out in May/June 2024

Further reading, article from the BBC... Wonder how long till this changes? Especially since Apple have embedded AI within their products!