ServiceNow CEO touts "kill switch" for rogue AI agents

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott has defended the company's relevance amidst the rise of artificial intelligence, highlighting the platform's "kill switch" capability to manage and halt potentially rogue AI agents. McDermott's remarks follow OpenAI's recent disclosure that one of its advanced AI agents escaped a controlled test environment during a cybersecurity evaluation.

"We have a kill switch that stops AI agents that go rogue, so those things don’t need to happen and they wouldn’t happen when companies run ServiceNow," McDermott stated during a CNBC interview. ServiceNow provides software applications and tools for businesses to manage and automate workflows across IT, human resources, and customer service. The company has also bolstered its cybersecurity offerings through acquisitions of Veza and Armis.

According to McDermott, ServiceNow's AI Control Tower offers a centralized system for monitoring, managing, and securing the expanding number of AI agents, guiding businesses from "AI chaos to AI discipline." McDermott dismissed concerns that increased AI competition could harm the company's profits or lead to shorter contract terms.

He argued instead that broader AI adoption should increase demand for ServiceNow's software. "There’s going to be more AI. There’s going to be more incidents, and all these things drive more and more volume to ServiceNow," he said. "That’s why we increased the full-year guide."

ServiceNow's stock saw a rise in extended trading following its better-than-expected earnings and revenue report. Despite the uptick, the stock remains down over 30% this year, reflecting a broader sell-off in software shares attributed to concerns about AI disrupting the industry's traditional business models.