ServiceNow expands OpenAI partnership across enterprise workflows

By Rebecca Stone

Early access for the OpenAI and ServiceNow security solution is expected in January 2027, with general availability planned for the second quarter of 2027, the companies said. OpenAI and ServiceNow also said ServiceNow plans to give every ServiceNow employee access to ChatGPT Work and Codex, while the ServiceNow MCP plugin is available in the OpenAI marketplace today.

The expansion builds on the partnership OpenAI and ServiceNow announced in January. It brings more OpenAI models and agents into ServiceNow products and connects ServiceNow workflows with ChatGPT and Codex, the companies said, with application development, IT request resolution and security as the main targets.

The expansion, as described by the companies, gives OpenAI models and agents a route into ServiceNow products, which already sit inside customer workflows. For enterprise buyers, the key design choice is controlled execution: customers select exposed capabilities, and ServiceNow says its Action Fabric applies existing business rules and permissions.

That arrangement matters because the proposed workflow can move from an assistant's analysis to a permitted record change without a separate handoff. OpenAI and ServiceNow say the broader aim is to help businesses build applications, resolve IT requests and address security issues using AI.

What changes for ChatGPT users?

OpenAI and ServiceNow said a new ServiceNow integration will bring business context and workflow actions directly into ChatGPT. An IT team member will be able to find similar incidents, assess the risk of a change and update a ServiceNow record without leaving ChatGPT.

Customers will connect ChatGPT to their own ServiceNow instance and choose which capabilities to make available, according to the companies. Action Fabric applies the customer's existing business rules and permissions, so the actions available inside ChatGPT reflect that organization's configuration and access.

The announcement separates conversational access from action permissions. A user can ask ChatGPT about an incident, compare prior cases and assess a change, but the customer determines whether the integration exposes the record update. Action Fabric then applies the rules configured for that user. These are two explicit gates before an agent changes a workflow.

The practical difference is not merely a longer answer. It is a permitted workflow step inside the same conversation, with ServiceNow retaining the rules that govern the action. In the examples, context supplies prior incidents, monitoring alerts, recent changes and affected services before the user acts.

ServiceNow is also previewing interactive experiences inside ChatGPT. In its on-call example, an engineer reviews linked monitoring alerts, recent changes and affected services, assigns the right team and works toward a fix without leaving ChatGPT.

Where do Codex and agents fit?

OpenAI and ServiceNow said the expansion covers three planned capability areas, starting with application development. A planned Codex integration in ServiceNow's AI Workflow Factory will help developers build applications using ServiceNow's business context and platform capabilities.

OpenAI models will power Build Agent and Autonomous Engineer, according to the announcement. The companies say those tools will support application development and modernization within ServiceNow's product workflows.

ServiceNow plans to extend ChatGPT Work and Codex beyond its engineering organization to all employees. The company describes two distinct internal uses:

• Engineers can use Codex to explore codebases, make changes and run tests.
• Teams across the business can use ChatGPT Work in routine day-to-day work.

The announcement presents two related but distinct Codex uses: employees can work with the tool on a codebase, while AI Workflow Factory is planned to embed Codex in application building. The first centers on existing engineering work; the second places the coding tool inside a ServiceNow development workflow.

The rollout has two adoption paths: broad employee use through ChatGPT Work and Codex, and developer-facing tooling through AI Workflow Factory, Build Agent and Autonomous Engineer. The announcement provides no usage targets or timetable for the company-wide rollout.

What will the joint security solution combine?

OpenAI and ServiceNow said their planned security solution will combine OpenAI's cybersecurity capabilities with ServiceNow's asset, identity and business context. The companies say the combination will help teams investigate vulnerabilities, prioritize risks and coordinate remediation.

The joint product is organized around three operational tasks: investigating vulnerabilities, prioritizing risks and coordinating remediation. ServiceNow supplies the asset, identity and business context for that work, while OpenAI contributes cybersecurity capabilities, according to the announcement.

The security work has the clearest dated rollout. Early access is expected in January 2027, and general availability is planned for the second quarter of 2027.

ServiceNow also plans to use OpenAI capabilities in its internal security work. OpenAI is using ServiceNow workflows in its own operations, supported by the Super Intelligence Control Tower. The announcement pairs a planned ServiceNow security deployment with OpenAI's current use of ServiceNow workflows, alongside the planned customer security product.

How will voice work?

OpenAI and ServiceNow said an OpenAI-powered experience in ServiceNow's Super Intelligence Control Tower will let people describe an AI use case aloud. The experience will help populate assessment fields and gather missing information through follow-up questions.

In the announced flow, speech supplies the initial use case, follow-up questions collect missing information and assessment fields capture the details provided. Voice capabilities in the Super Intelligence Control Tower are expected in the first quarter of 2027.

When will features arrive?

OpenAI and ServiceNow set the following milestones for the announced products:

• Today: The ServiceNow MCP plugin is available in the OpenAI marketplace.
• End of 2026: Enhanced capabilities for the ServiceNow MCP plugin are expected.
• First quarter of 2027: Voice capabilities in the Super Intelligence Control Tower are expected.
• January 2027: The OpenAI-powered security capabilities are expected to enter early access.
• Second quarter of 2027: General availability for those security capabilities is planned.
• 2027: Codex in AI Workflow Factory is expected to become available.

The announcement does not attach a launch date to the general ChatGPT-to-ServiceNow integration or the company-wide rollout of ChatGPT Work and Codex. It also describes the original partnership as announced in January without specifying a year.

The schedule separates the only item labeled available now from features that remain under development. The marketplace plugin leads, enhanced plugin functions arrive before the 2027 releases, and the security product moves from early access to general availability within the first half of 2027.

The January 2027 security early access is the first dated test of the partnership's central operational claim: OpenAI capabilities can act on ServiceNow context while existing business rules and permissions govern each step.