Now Assist is ServiceNow's generative AI layer for enterprise skills and agents, and as of July 9, 2026, it will use Azure OpenAI, AWS Claude, and Google Gemini as the default providers whenever the store app update is applied, replacing the Now LLM Service in scenarios without explicit configuration.
Now Assist will switch to using Azure OpenAI, AWS Claude, and Google Gemini as its default providers starting July 9, 2026, while the Now LLM Service for commercial use will be retired in December 2026 — explicit instance, skill, or agent-level configurations will be preserved in both changes.
Why is ServiceNow switching default providers?
Edge models like Azure OpenAI, AWS Claude, and Google Gemini evolve in reasoning, language understanding, and task completion at a faster pace than the ServiceNow LLM release cycle. By taking over the management of this lifecycle, ServiceNow evaluates each new model version against out-of-the-box skills and agents before making it the standard, delivering performance gains without requiring customers to manage infrastructure or model versions on their own.
The provider for each skill is assigned based on validated performance for that specific use case, not arbitrarily. Azure OpenAI, AWS Claude, and Google Gemini have been available and supported on the ServiceNow AI Platform for several releases—the change on July 9th is the automatic default in the update, not the introduction of these providers.
What changes and when: two distinct events
The first change is the out-of-the-box (OOTB) default provider switch, tied to each app store's release schedule: skills and agents without an explicitly configured provider will start using Azure OpenAI, AWS Claude, or Google Gemini as soon as the corresponding product receives the update. Therefore, July 9th marks the start of the rollout, not a simultaneous cut across all products.
The second change, on a separate timeline, is the retirement of the Now LLM Service for commercial deployments in December 2026. Configurations that deliberately point to the Now LLM Service are not overwritten by the July 9th update—the factor forcing the migration is the model's retirement date, not the store app update.
The provider assigned to each skill can be found in the AI Control Tower, under Controls > AI Model Providers (Impact Summary), or in the Now Assist Admin Console, under Settings > Manage Model Providers.
What to do, by configuration scenario.
Before applying any store app updates, reviewing the allowed providers in AI Control Tower is the first step, regardless of the instance configuration scenario. By default, all providers are available, but if the organization has restricted any provider, skills assigned to it may be blocked by the policy itself if fallback is disabled.
| Configuration scenario | Recommended action | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| No configuration (100% default OOTB) | Review the allowed providers in AI Control Tower before updating; validate in sub-production after applying. | AI Steward, Admin |
| Provider configured at the instance level. | Standard already covered; if the configured provider is Now LLM Service, initiate approval and testing of a third-party provider before withdrawal. | AI Steward, Admin |
| Partial configuration (some skills, groups or agents) | Anything without explicit configuration changes provider; confirm if the new standard is on the list of allowed providers. | AI Steward, Admin |
| Now LLM Service explicitly configured for specific skills. | Preserved by the July 9th update, but migration to an approved third-party provider must begin now, before December 2026. | Admin |
| Customized skills built on the Now LLM Service | Preserved configuration; clone the prompt, configure a third-party provider, run human and automated assessments before withdrawal. | Developer |
| Air-gapped environments, self-hosted environments, or regulated markets. | No change at this stage; continue using the Now LLM Service until further notice from ServiceNow. | Admin, AI Steward |
What remains the same
AI Control Tower continues to offer visibility into model usage, performance, and policy enforcement across the entire instance, including which providers are active and where. Data protections are maintained by ServiceNow across all integrated providers, without requiring separate contracts with Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google. Existing out-of-the-box skills and workflows do not need to be rebuilt, and Assists consumption for billing remains at the same rate as previous standards. The ability to configure providers at the instance, skill group, or individual skill level remains exactly as it is today.
Air-gapped environments, self-hosted spaces, and regulated markets.
Customers in isolated environments, self-hosted deployments, or markets with data residency requirements that limit the use of third-party providers are not affected by this transition at this stage. These environments continue to operate with the Now LLM Service while ServiceNow develops a hosted open-weights model package for this type of deployment, with separate availability and migration communication.
What does this mean for AI governance in ServiceNow?
The switch from default providers reinforces a point that already indicates the maturity of NowAssist and AI in ServiceNowAutomation with control relies on active review in AI Control Tower, sub-production testing before each store app update, and traceability regarding which provider is serving each skill. For clients with Discovery, CMDB, and ITOM Mature models, this validation discipline is already part of the operational routine — the same rationale that underpins data governance now applies to the governance of AI models.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I do nothing?
Skills and agents without explicit configuration will automatically switch to the new default provider once the product's app store update is applied, starting July 9, 2026.
Does the Now LLM Service stop working immediately?
No. The Now LLM Service will be retired for commercial deployments only in December 2026; explicit configurations in that provider are preserved by the July 9th updates.
Are customers in air-gapped or self-hosted environments affected?
Not at this stage. ServiceNow maintains the Now LLM Service available for these environments and is developing a hosted, open-weights model package with separate communication.