January 21, 2026 OpenAI is pushing deeper into enterprise software as AI agents move from experimentation into day-to-day business operations. The ChatGPT maker said it has signed a three-year agreement with ServiceNow to integrate OpenAI’s AI models directly into ServiceNow’s platforms for IT operations, customer service and other business workflows.
The deal includes a revenue commitment from ServiceNow to OpenAI and hinges on customers using OpenAI’s models inside ServiceNow products, though financial terms were not disclosed. “Enterprises want OpenAI intelligence applied directly into ServiceNow workflows. Looking ahead, customers are especially interested in agentic and multimodal experiences, so they can work with AI like a true teammate inside ServiceNow,” said Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer.
The partnership underscores how quickly AI agents—software that can take actions on behalf of humans—are becoming standard features inside enterprise platforms. Companies including Salesforce, SAP, and Workday have all been promoting embedded AI agents as the next step in extracting value from AI investments.
For OpenAI, the ServiceNow deal is part of a broader effort to expand its enterprise business, both by selling direct access to its models and by partnering with established software vendors. That strategy puts OpenAI in direct competition not only with Anthropic, but also with Google and Microsoft, which are building AI capabilities directly into their own enterprise software suites.
For ServiceNow, the agreement offers a faster path to advanced AI capabilities without developing large-scale models internally. As part of the deal, the software company will build new AI-powered products using OpenAI’s models, including voice agents for customer service applications that rely on OpenAI’s speech-focused AI systems. OpenAI’s computer-use model will also be employed, enabling AI agents to independently carry out IT tasks such as restarting machines or handling routine system actions.
ServiceNow engineers will develop the agent-enabled tools with technical guidance from OpenAI, while the company’s “forward deployed engineers” will help customers implement the technology in real-world environments.
The expansion of AI agents comes as the IT labor market continues to cool. Hiring for many technical roles has slowed as companies prioritize automation, cost controls, and efficiency gains. AI agents capable of handling routine IT and customer service tasks are widely viewed as a potential accelerant of that trend.
Despite the automation push, ServiceNow’s business continues to grow. The company reported a 22% increase in revenue in the third quarter, driven in part by rising AI demand from both existing and new customers, particularly in its customer relationship management offerings. ServiceNow is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Jan. 28.
