Why CIOs Must Adopt AI-Orchestrated Service Desks

Despite the surge in AI adoption, many organizations continue to struggle with fragmented legacy systems, poor data readiness, and inconsistent governance, leaving IT service desks reactive and overwhelmed. According to newly released insights from Info-Tech Research Group, sustainable transformation of the service desk requires an AI-orchestrated model that integrates automation, governance, and human oversight to build resilience and improve the user experience.

To help IT leaders overcome technology adoption barriers such as poor data quality, high costs, governance costs, and agent fears about job security, the global IT research and advisory firm has recently published its blueprint, Implement an AI-Orchestrated Service Desk, which outlines a phased approach to transform service desk operations with AI. Info-Tech's blueprint provides organizations with practical tools and use cases to implement AI in ways that deliver organizational efficiency and long-term value.

"Although AI can help the service desk reduce costs through staff optimization and a decrease in ticket volume, this perspective is short-sighted," says Mahmoud Ramin, a senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. "The true power of AI in the service desk lies in orchestrating an intelligent ecosystem, coexisting with human expertise to build resilience, transform the user experience, and ultimately reduce the need for tickets altogether."

AI-Orchestrated Service Desks: Three Implementation Phases

Info-Tech's blueprint outlines a three-phase methodology designed to help IT leaders plan, implement, and continuously improve AI within service desk operations—providing organizations with practical guidance to align AI with organizational priorities while addressing common adoption challenges.

Phase 1. Identify Goals and AI Use Cases

CIOs, IT operations managers, and service desk leaders define AI objectives, align goals with business strategy, assess service desk satisfaction, and prioritize potential AI use cases that deliver the greatest measurable value and readiness.

Phase 2. Define AI Implementation Requirements

With AI use cases prioritized, teams establish clear guidelines for AI integration into service desk processes. This phase addresses solution requirements, including user and data needs, process integrations, potential implementation risks, and mitigation strategies, to ensure a structured and secure deployment.

Phase 3. Optimize and Expand AI Capabilities

After deployment, IT and service desk teams track AI performance using defined metrics, involve stakeholders through adoption planning, and implement ongoing training and governance. This process ensures that AI in service desk operations is continuously updated, proactive, and predictive, and guides service desk agents into more strategic roles that deliver higher organizational value.

By following the step-by-step approach detailed in this resource, IT leaders can transform service desks from reactive operations into orchestrated, intelligent environments. More than just improving efficiency, Info-Tech's blueprint highlights how combining AI with structured processes and human expertise turns the service desk into a strategic enabler of resilience, continuous improvement, and a better end-user experience.

"If AI is deployed as a standalone tool, your investment may be wasted, and it may even lead to complexities instead of streamlining processes," explains Ramin. "To get the most benefits out of AI for service management, make sure to align AI capabilities with your service desk workflows and operational governance framework."

Source: Info-Tech Research Group