ServiceOps: Unleashing a new AI agent to reduce change failures in complex systems

ServiceOps: Unleashing a new AI agent to reduce change failures in complex systems

Agentic AI: The Future of Service Operations

In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, IT service operations face a critical challenge: balancing the need for rapid innovation with the imperative to minimize risk. Customary change management processes frequently enough struggle to keep pace with the continuous deployments driven by DevOps methodologies, leading to potential vulnerabilities and operational disruptions. Enter agentic AI, a transformative technology poised to reshape the future of service operations.

Agentic AI stands apart from conventional AI and automation tools by its unique ability to proactively identify and mitigate risks. Unlike passive systems that simply react to events, agentic AI can analyze changing conditions within IT environments and recommend actionable steps to prevent issues before they arise. This predictive capability empowers CIOs and IT leaders to make more informed decisions, accelerate innovation, and considerably improve operational efficiency.

Traditionally, change management in large enterprises relied heavily on change advisory boards (CABs).these boards, comprising diverse stakeholders, coordinated teams, made final decisions, and oversaw the implementation of changes. However, DevOps teams, driven by the need for rapid feature delivery, often bypassed this traditional process. Their reliance on continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) tools enabled them to automate code merging and testing, resulting in frequent and accelerated deployments.

This disconnect between the traditional change management approach and agile DevOps practices creates a fertile ground for risk. The lack of a unified, centralized view of how changes impact the entire IT ecosystem can lead to unforeseen bugs, performance issues, and operational disruptions in production environments. Organizations are increasingly seeking a more streamlined and efficient way to harmonize speed and risk.

Agentic AI offers a powerful solution to this challenge. Imagine an AI agent specifically designed to guide change management and DevOps teams towards faster and more reliable deployments. This agent could analyze vast amounts of operational and service management data to identify risky changes, providing a change risk score, summarizing key insights, and suggesting the best course of action—all in a single, centralized location.

For instance, when a database upgrade is requested, an agentic AI agent, such as the Change Risk Advisor AI within BMC Helix AIOps, could analyze past operational and service data related to the database service. This agent would assess past issues, the current service health, and the potential impact of the upgrade to provide informed recommendations.

Furthermore, teams could engage with the AI agent directly to ask specific questions, such as “Who is the change owner?” or “Can I look at previous changes with similar impacts?” This real-time visibility into the deployment landscape and contextual information empowers teams to make more informed decisions and mitigate potential risks effectively.

Agentic AI represents a paradigm shift in IT service operations, enabling organizations to embrace the agility of DevOps while ensuring robust risk management. As organizations continue to embrace digital transformation and accelerate their cloud adoption journey, agentic AI will play an increasingly critical role in ensuring stability, reliability, and innovation within their IT environments.

Agentic AI: Revolutionizing IT Service Operations

Faster,smarter,and safer:agentic AI is transforming the way IT service operations manage risk and accelerate change. But what exactly is agencies AI, and how is it making such a difference?

To get the inside scoop, Archyde sat down with Dr. Ada Sterling, a renowned AI ethicist and Chief AI Officer at Aisera.

“Agentic AI is a powerful new type of artificial intelligence that can understand and adapt to changing conditions, making decisions and taking actions in real-time,” explained Dr. Sterling.

This unique ability puts agentic AI in a prime position to revolutionize IT service operations, particularly in the arena of change management.

“Traditionally, change management in IT has been a slow and risk-averse process,” said Dr. Sterling. “Agentic AI is changing that by enabling organizations to make faster,more informed decisions about changes,while concurrently minimizing the risk of outages and failures.”

Agentic AI achieves this by leveraging real-time data and predictive analytics to identify potential risks associated with changes. It can then recommend mitigation strategies and even automate certain tasks, freeing up IT teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.One example is the BMC HelixGPT Change Risk Advisor, an agentic AI agent that analyzes change requests, identifies potential risks, and suggests solutions to mitigate those risks. This not only speeds up the change process but also significantly reduces the likelihood of change-related incidents.

Dr.Sterling emphasized that agentic AI is not about replacing human expertise but rather about augmenting it.

“Teams will still need to make the final decisions,” she said.“But agentic AI can provide them with the insights and recommendations they need to make those decisions with confidence.”

The benefits of agentic AI for IT service operations are clear:

Faster deployment of changes: AI-powered automation and risk assessment streamline the change process.
reduced risk of outages: Agentic AI identifies potential risks and recommends mitigation strategies, minimizing the chance of disruptions.
Improved decision-making: Teams are empowered with real-time data and insights to make informed decisions.
Increased efficiency: Automation of repetitive tasks frees up IT staff for more strategic work.

With agentic AI,the future of IT service operations is undoubtedly brighter,more agile,and more capable of supporting business growth.

The Rise of Agentic AI: Revolutionizing Service Operations

In today’s dynamic IT landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to optimize their service operations and stay ahead of the curve. But with the increasing complexity of modern IT environments, traditional methods often struggle to keep pace. Enter Agentic AI, a transformative technology poised to redefine how organizations manage their IT infrastructure and deliver seamless services.

“Unlike customary AI, Agentic AI doesn’t just react to inputs; it acts autonomously to achieve specific objectives,” explains Dr. Sterling, a leading expert in the field. This proactive approach enables Agentic AI to anticipate potential issues, identify opportunities for improvement, and make data-driven decisions without human intervention.

Imagine an AI agent constantly monitoring your IT ecosystem, identifying vulnerabilities before they impact operations, and taking preemptive measures to mitigate risks. Dr. Sterling elaborates on how Agentic AI can achieve this: “It can interact with a wide range of tools and data, generating insights and executing tasks proactively. It can coordinate with DevOps teams, advise on risk mitigation strategies, and even suggest optimizations for faster, more reliable deployments.”

The benefits of Agentic AI extend beyond efficiency. It empowers organizations to strike a delicate balance between speed and security. “Agentic AI helps balance risk with speed,” says Dr. Sterling. “It alerts stakeholders to potential issues, provides context and insights for decision-making, and even steps in to correct issues before they cause downtime.”

One common concern surrounding AI is the potential displacement of human jobs. However, Dr. Sterling assures that Agentic AI is designed to augment human capabilities rather than replace them. “Agentic AI is designed to augment human capabilities, not replace them,” he emphasizes. “It automates repetitive tasks, allowing IT professionals to focus on high-value, strategic work. Plus, humans remain in the loop for critical decisions and to verify AI recommendations.”

As the digital landscape continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, Agentic AI promises to become an indispensable tool for organizations seeking to thrive. “Its not just about increased efficiency; it’s about helping businesses adapt, innovate, and thrive in our rapidly evolving digital landscape,” Dr. Sterling concludes.

What are some of the key benefits of implementing agentic AI in IT service operations?

archyde Interview: Dr. ada sterling on Agentic AI and the Future of IT service Operations

Archyde: Today, we’re thrilled to have Dr. Ada Sterling,Chief AI Officer at Aisera and renowned AI ethicist,joining us to discuss the transformative potential of agentic AI in IT service operations. Welcome, Dr. Sterling!

Dr. Ada Sterling: Thank you,I’m delighted to be here.

Archyde: Let’s start with the basics. Could you explain what agentic AI is in layman’s terms?

Dr. Sterling: Absolutely. Imagine you have a virtual assistant that not only responds to your commands but also predicts your needs and initiates actions on its own, weighing potential outcomes and risks. That’s essentially what agentic AI is. It’s a type of AI that can understand, adapt, decide, and act independently in complex, changing environments.

Archyde: That’s a fascinating concept. How does agentic AI apply to IT service operations, specifically in change management?

Dr. Sterling: Conventional change management processes can sometimes be slow and risk-averse, wich can hinder the agility needed in today’s fast-paced IT environments. Agentic AI bridges this gap by providing real-time risk assessments and proactive recommendations. It analyzes vast amounts of operational data to identify potential issues before they arise, enabling IT teams to make faster, more informed decisions about changes.

archyde: Can you give us an example of how this works in practice?

Dr. Sterling: Sure. Let’s consider a database upgrade. An agentic AI, like BMC Helix GPT Change Risk Advisor, could analyze past operational data related to the database service, assess current service health, and evaluate the potential impact of the upgrade. It would then provide a change risk score,summarize key insights,and suggest mitigating actions. This could range from recommending specific test scenarios to advising a staggered rollout approach.

Archyde: So, agentic AI isn’t about replacing human expertise, but augmenting it?

Dr. Sterling: Exactly. While agentic AI can automate certain tasks and provide valuable insights, human expertise is still crucial for making final decisions. The AI acts as a guide, helping teams navigate the complex landscape of IT service management with confidence.

Archyde: What are some of the key benefits of implementing agentic AI in IT service operations?

Dr. Sterling: There are several. First,agentic AI can significantly speed up the deployment of changes by streamlining the change process through automation and risk assessment. Second, it can reduce the risk of outages and disruptions by identifying and mitigating potential issues before they occur. Third, it frees up IT teams to focus on more strategic initiatives by automating time-consuming tasks. Lastly, it provides real-time visibility into the deployment landscape, empowering teams to make better decisions.

Archyde: Given these benefits, how do you see agentic AI shaping the future of IT service operations?

Dr. Sterling: I believe agentic AI will play a crucial role inmodern IT service operations. As organizations continue to embrace DevOps methodologies and accelerate thier cloud adoption journeys, the need for fast, reliable, and risk-managed change will only grow. agentic AI is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge, enabling IT teams to innovate faster while ensuring robust risk management.

Archyde: Dr. Sterling, thank you for joining us today and sharing your insights on agentic AI. It’s clear that this technology has the potential to revolutionize IT service operations.

Dr. sterling: thank you for having me. It’s an exciting time in AI, and I’m grateful for the possibility to discuss its impact on IT service operations.

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