How to help the non technical and less online people in your life navigate the latest techbro grift.
I've seen other people say stuff to this effect but it's worth reiterating. Today in class, my professor was talking about a news article where a celebrity's likeness was used in an ai image without their permission. Then she mentioned a guest lecture about how AI is going to help finance professionals. Then I pointed out, those two things aren't really related.
The term AI is being used to obfuscate details about multiple semi-related technologies.
Traditionally in sci-fi, AI means artificial general intelligence like Data from star trek, or the terminator. This, I shouldn't need to say, doesn't exist. Techbros use the term AI to trick investors into funding their projects. It's largely a grift.
What is the term AI being used to obfuscate?
If you want to help the less online and less tech literate people in your life navigate the hype around AI, the best way to do it is to encourage them to change their language around AI topics.
By calling these technologies what they really are, and encouraging the people around us to know the real names, we can help lift the veil, kill the hype, and keep people safe from scams. Here are some starting points, which I am just pulling from Wikipedia. I'd highly encourage you to do your own research.
Machine learning (ML): is an umbrella term for solving problems for which development of algorithms by human programmers would be cost-prohibitive, and instead the problems are solved by helping machines "discover" their "own" algorithms, without needing to be explicitly told what to do by any human-developed algorithms. (This is the basis of most technologically people call AI)
Language model: (LM or LLM) is a probabilistic model of a natural language that can generate probabilities of a series of words, based on text corpora in one or multiple languages it was trained on. (This would be your ChatGPT.)
Generative adversarial network (GAN): is a class of machine learning framework and a prominent framework for approaching generative AI. In a GAN, two neural networks contest with each other in the form of a zero-sum game, where one agent's gain is another agent's loss. (This is the source of some AI images and deepfakes.)
Diffusion Models: Models that generate the probability distribution of a given dataset. In image generation, a neural network is trained to denoise images with added gaussian noise by learning to remove the noise. After the training is complete, it can then be used for image generation by starting with a random noise image and denoise that. (This is the more common technology behind AI images, including Dall-E and Stable Diffusion. I added this one to the post after as it was brought to my attention it is now more common than GANs.)
I know these terms are more technical, but they are also more accurate, and they can easily be explained in a way non-technical people can understand. The grifters are using language to give this technology its power, so we can use language to take it's power away and let people see it for what it really is.
The Ad Astra Institute for Science Fiction & the Speculative Imagination's AI Policy
Full text under the cut, below, but let's start with the positive conclusion from a brilliant new "Let's talk about AI art" comic-essay by The Oatmeal:
SF is the literature of change, and part of what's changing in our world the most is what corporations tout as "artificial intelligence." However, AI today is not what SF has long speculated about, and it's not the magic pill so many promote as the path toward creative success. Anyone looking to become skilled in the art and craft of speculative fiction needs to stay away from generative AI (genAI).
We at Ad Astra do, and we expect attendees in (and teachers of) our courses and workshops to avoid it, too.
You might be thinking, "Isn't the Ad Astra Institute all about speculative fiction? What’s more SFnal than AI?"
Yeah, well... let's take a closer look.
Our full AI policy boils down to "No GenAI slop, no plagiarism-machine botshit, here's why," and lives on our website here. Copied below the cut:
What is AI?
First of all, most of what the media discusses as "AI" and what businesses push using that name is far from it. The "positronic brain" of R Daneel Olivaw (of Asimov's series of robot stories and novels) bestows this "humaniform" robot with human-like intelligence and a capability to think, reason, imagine, and do everything else humans do - only better. He's ruled by Asimov's "Laws of Robotics," which also gives these fictional robots ethics exceeding that of many humans. HAL 9000 (of 2001: A Space Odyssey) also possesses greater-than-human intelligence and the ability to think and possibly even feel, but it was programmed without ethical rules so much as mission-related ones (you'll have to watch if you don't know 'em; no spoilers). Neuromancer, Wintermute, and other artificial intelligences and digitized human minds in Gibson's touchstone novel Neuromancer are also superintelligent, thinking machines. The movie AI: Artificial Intelligence delves into the potential emotional nature of AI. Iain M Banks' "Minds" from his Culture novels possess vast intellectual and other power.
Especially in recent years, SF offers many, many interesting and moving examples of machines that can think, create, feel, and do all the other things humans can. But they do not exist in our world. (At least, not yet.)
Non-generative AI - often referred to as "machine learning" or "neural networks" - today is technology that enables computer systems to simulate or mimic human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, and autonomy in order to perform tasks too complex, fast-paced, or dangerous for humans. How NASA defines AI, per the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019:
An artificial system that performs tasks under varying and unpredictable circumstances without significant human oversight, or that can "learn" from experience and improve performance when exposed to data sets.
An artificial system developed in computer software, physical hardware, or other context that solves tasks requiring human-like perception, processing, planning, learning, communication, or physical action.
An artificial system designed to [appear to] "think" or act like a human, including cognitive architectures and neural networks.
A set of techniques, including machine learning, designed to approximate a cognitive task.
An artificial system designed to act rationally, including an intelligent software agent or embodied robot that achieves goals using perception, planning, reasoning, learning, communicating, decision-making, and acting.
Note that none of this involves creative, artistic, or otherwise imaginative or innovative cognition - or thinking at all. True(-ish) but "weak" AI systems today include weather-analysis algorithms that pore over vast amounts of data to identify patterns that help humans predict upcoming weather patterns, military drones that evade defenses and attack enemies without human intervention by using geographical maps and images of threats and targets with real-time data processing and analysis without relying on remote processing ("edge AI"), self-driving cars, pharmaceutical algorithms that process likely biological interactions with various compounds, medical systems that process patient symptoms and compare them against vast databases of known pathologies, and much more. These are all various forms of machine learning, neural networks, and so on - (misleadingly) classified in computer science as "artificial intelligence" - and are far closer to the SFnal concept of Strong AI than the "generative AI" (genAI) dominating today's corporate landscape.
Strong AI, Artificial General Ingelligence (AGI), or Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) are something like simulated human minds. The "general intelligence" part of the term refers to the human mind's ability to independently adapt and change based on our environment and input, so we can solve math problems as readily as create unique art. While weak AI relies on humans to define its learning algorithms and provide relevant training data, AGI would not require human assistance after its growth phase. In theory, AGI could develop human-like thought capacity or even consciousness rather than just simulating it (as with today's weak-AI chatbots and LLMs). And ASI is just what it sounds like - AGI whose abilities far surpass those of the human mind. This sort of AI stuff has long lived in the realm of spec-fic, and we're not there... yet.
Though many believe it is coming, and could emerge as soon as the 2040s. For more, see Vernor Vinge's seminal essay on the topic, "What is the Singularity?"
GenAI algorithms can't even do math well - the most basic of all machine operations. "Look what you did - you took a perfectly good computer and made it worse!"
However, genAI in today's world does nothing more than spit out statistically likely and expected output to the input it is given. That's why when someone asks ChatGPT, "Is 'Handyman' a palindrome?" it's likely to respond, "No, it’s not" - but if you follow up with, "Are you sure? I think it is," it's likely to respond, "Actually it is a palindrome! Handyman is spelled the same backward as it is forward." This is because its prime directive is to sound as if it's providing a correct answer. Despite having access to a database of basically all information that humankind possesses, ChatGPT and other LLMs or genAI models don't actually understand what a palindrome is. They understand nothing, in the human sense of those terms.
The only thing these algorithms do is determine the next most-likely word to follow a word it just used and then barf it into the series of words it offers. That's how they produce "stories" and other text. Visual genAI does something similar, but using existing imagery to whip up a composite of imagery cues that seem (to its database) like the kinds of thing a human is requesting in their prompt.
GenAI as it exists today is really just a marketing tool for businesses who want to eliminate human labor and increase profits, and for profiteers to attract the vast capital available from investors seeking quick and large returns on investment.
LLMs, genAI, chatbots, and similar plagiarism machines are not artificial intelligence by any real definition of the term; rather, they're just lazily (or trickily) called "AI" because that's a field of computer programming. Corporations likely glommed onto the term because of the popularity of robots in SF, which the public thinks of as cool, exciting, super-intelligent - or at least super-capable. This, despite these kinds of algorithms being simply unable to produce anything of value, because they do not understand, know, or create anything.
(For more on this, check out "Difference Between Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence," by Anusha Sharma.)
How AI Killed NaNoWriMo
(Opposing plagiarism machines isn't ableist)
In fall of 2024, the amateur writing-support organization NaNoWriMo destroyed its long-running program by coming out with the policy screenshotted in part here:
Not only did they actively condone the use of genAI by their participants, they went so far as to frame criticism of AI as classist and ableist. This was a dangerous silencing tactic that distracted from the real problems of writers using genAI (and prompted us to launch Ad Astra's Writing Solidarity Month, now an ongoing set of activities offered through our Discord channel).
For the “anyone can write” organization that offered support and encouragement to both beginners and experienced writers in producing something that gives them the joy of creation in a community setting, this was a strange stance. What’s the point of using genAI to barf out word-salad stolen from people who actually took the time to consider their words in particular combinations? If you’re not actually writing something yourself, what’s the point of participating in the “doesn’t matter if you’re just doing this for your own pleasure or as practice to get better” exercise?
Saying, “We support using LLMs to do this thing that’s supposed to help writers and would-be writers, and if you don’t think it’s okay you’re ableist” is an even weirder and, frankly, unsettling attitude, especially as an official position from a writing organization.
We at Ad Astra are all for using AI to do actual work that humans need help with and don’t want to or can’t do: searching vast databases that would take years for us mortals to do, running spellchecks and offering grammar suggestions, doing tedious tasks to save hours of suffering, conducting virtual experiments so we don’t need to set off nukes or test on animals, and so on.
Like most SF writers and people interested in what’s to come, we're both excited and wary about the emergence of true AI as described above. But what marketeers are pushing under that term now is not actual AI, hence the use on this page of scare quotes around the corporate-appropriated acronym.
Creating art is a human activity as old as our species itself (and likely older), something that brings pleasure to those who create it as much to those who receive it, so why use a machine that removes the joy and satisfaction of actually creating stuff?
One day (soon, we hope), we’ll have writing tools that benefit those who need them to fulfill creative desires without stealing (called "training on") other people's work. For example, I’ve (Chris here) long been in search of voice-to-text software that doesn’t require months to train, doesn’t require a mouse and keyboard to constantly correct errors and add punctuation, and uses a dictionary large enough to support writers who use technical language and foreign words - that is, allows us to easily add made-up SFnal or fantastic words.
This would save everyone’s wrists while vastly improving the lives of disabled people who wish to communicate using text. GenAI does nothing to help disabled people create their own new work; rather, it turns them into accomplices in the stolen-art world, and offers only the most sub-average assemblages of words that plagiarism machines can generate. One day soon, we hope true AI will help us create rather than spew degenerated content assembled from the effort of human creatives.
For those who need assistance in creating art due to a physical or mental disability, genAI is not your friend. Today there is some (actual but weak) AI-driven support, including programs that help with text-to-speech and speech-to-text, predictive text, social-skills training, emotion-recognition tools, personalized-learning algorithms, virtual-reality environments, scheduling assistants, and so on. These are all excellent and useful applications of both AI and "AI," and they (mostly) don't steal from creators.
But these programs don't actually create anything, and expecting algorithms to do the writing (or painting, or whatever) for you will only lead to disappointment. Maybe one day we'll be able to use Strong AI as a writing partner, but for now, using genAI is really just enabling an expensive, environmentally harmful tool that cheats and steals from others, and generates nothing more than lowest-common-denominator AI-slop botshit.
For those who cannot afford to take classes or workshops on the art they wish to create (which I assume is the root of the "classist" argument), check out workshops that offer scholarships (like those we offer through the Ad Astra Institute), dive into the mountain of free writing resources and writing tips you'll find online (including on our blogs and on our website), meet up with local writers to help one another out via solidarity groups (as with our alum Discord), and so forth.
For those fascinated with the creative process but who feel intimidated by getting started, watch a documentary about writing (or painting or whatever art you want to do) instead, or take a writing workshop, or do something other than support corporate encroachment on artists' spaces - either accept that it’s not your bag, or put in the time and effort to do it yourself. Y'know, the things NaNoWriMo used to be all about supporting.
For those who hate the process of creating art, some life advice: Do something else with your time that you actually enjoy doing, which brings you pleasure or satisfaction. Life is short.
Why tromp around in creatives’ spaces and steal their work to assemble shabby content you didn’t want to actually make in the first place? You can do a million other things to satisfy the need to make something - pottery, photography, woodworking, gardening, bicycling, public speaking, building telescopes, and so on - and surely one of those will spark joy without perpetuating the harms that come with relying on genAI to do the work for you.
This nonsense of using LLMs to “create art” is nothing but appropriation of human creative labor, and gives those who use it - whether they're able-bodied or not - nothing but diminished cognition and atrophied creative skills.
Don't let anyone shame you into being okay with creative theft.
Our Policy
Given all this, recent improvements in genAI show that it is now able to produce readable stories and decent-looking imagery without much human input. Due to these developments, we decided we need a policy about machine-generated content.
Here it is:
We do not use "generative AI" tools to make Ad Astra-related content, including website, class, or workshop materials (except for reasons of satire). Humans do our creative work.
We do not accept ostensibly creative work that was generated using genAI (or Strong AI, when that comes around - though we'll be happy to enroll manufactured Minds into our courses once they're a thing! please don't kill us, robots; we love you).
If you're participating in our classes and workshops, do not feed your cohorts' creative work into algorithms or databases. This is just enabling plagiarism machines. Critiquing (yourself, using your own human skills) is at least as valuable an exercise for those analyzing others' work to perform as it is for the creator of that work to receive. And giving away someone else's work without their permission is theft (see the ocean of lawsuits currently tearing down the genAI industry's system of stealing human-created work to train their LLMs).
We allow and encourage participants in our classes and workshops to use tools such as spellcheckers, grammar checkers, dictionaries, thesauri, search engines, and the like to research and improve their work. These existed before the current genAI fad (and worked better back then).
What is currently touted as "AI" does not think, feel, or create. Even if the internet is becoming saturated with genAI slop (some now estimate that half - or more - of what you see online is machine-generated), it pales in comparison to human-created material:
I once again call your attention to the image illustrating this post - it comes from the final frame of a brilliant new comic on this subject by The Oatmeal (by human author and artist Matthew Inman) entitled, "Let's talk about AI art."
Readers can feel when creative work shares an authentic, genuine, human experience; when it's inspired by human imagination and thought. And if, indeed, we're headed toward a "dead internet" where much of what we encounter online is barfed out by plagiarism machines, the data those LLMs trained on came from internet content of widely varying quality - so it's only getting worse as more and more of the content they train on is, itself, genAI slop.
The same is true of creative work: The more LLMs train on botshit, the faster their quality falls off the cliff. So as average quality disintegrates, creatives - true artists who spend their lives honing their craft - stand out more and more. Even at its best, botshit simply cannot be better than the average quality of what its generator-algorithm database has consumed, so the average work of an average-skilled human creator is better than even the best genAI slop.
(Go read it!)
The root of things: If you want to become a better writer, to develop your talents and hone your skills, why would you intentionally limit your own creative development by using a plagiarism machine to barf out work under your name? The only way to improve your art is to study the kind of thing you wish to create (like the LLMs, only without the plagiarism aspect), learn the tips and techniques to improve your skills, and practice, practice, practice.
Finally, on a more ominous note, Microsoft - ironically, one of the prime pushers of genAI - recently released (February 2025) results from a study that found "AI Makes Human Cognition Atrophied and Unprepared" (pdf).
Using AI literally makes people dumb and uncreative. What further convincing do you need to stay away from genAI in your creative endeavors?
- Chris McKitterick
As a community of creatives, educators, and scholars, Ad Astra strives to make the future a better place for humans. And our AI friends, once such exist.
Some AI resources
(If you're aware of others we should add to this list, let us know!)
Aticles and more that delve deeper into the challenges with using today's "AI" -
AI Makes Human Cognition Atrophied and Unprepared (pdf).
The Dead Internet Theory, Explained.
AI Biases and the Perpetuation of Inequality: Unveiling the Shadows of Unfair Design.
ChatGPT's Impact On Our Brains According to an MIT Study | TIME.
Covert Racism in AI: How Language Models Are Reinforcing Outdated Stereotypes | Stanford HAI.
"Let's talk about AI art," a comic essay by The Oatmeal.
Racism and AI: “Bias from the past leads to bias in the future” | OHCHR.
Isaac Asimov's Laws of Robotics (very much not being considered in current AI development).
Difference Between Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
What is the Singularity?
"Writing in (& about) the Age of Artificial Intelligence" (Science into Fiction #3 Spec-Fic Writing Workshop syllabus; suggests and links to lots more readings and viewing).
SB Infowaves is leading the AI Industry from the front.
As the MD, Parasrampuria brings a great combination of finance and strategy, having gained much experience working in PwC and ICICI Bank. She places an emphasis on solving problems and implementing them by creating unique technological platforms. Thanks to her guidance, SB Infowaves managed to increase its delivery across the globe, focusing on the client-centeredness and tangible results.
SB Infowaves is planning to take part in CMPL Expo 2026 that is going to be held between May 4 and June 6, 2026, at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Being considered as one of the most prominent events for the contract manufacturing and private label sector in Asia, the event is going to be attended by such companies as those involved in the FMCG industry.
The involvement of the firm in the CMPL Expo showcases its attempts at expansion into various sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and e-commerce, where there is an increasing demand for AI-based automation, data analytics, and digitization.
It should be highlighted that SB Infowaves has formed an international alliance with X-Venture,US with the intention of delivering innovative Agentic AI services to small firms in the US market. Through this international collaboration, companies would be able to deploy autonomous AI systems that not only perform automation but also take decisions.
SB Infowaves- the leader of future AI software development
New Delhi [India], May 4: In a significant development in India’s fast-evolving technology services sector, SB Infowaves, under the leadersh
In a significant development in India’s fast-evolving technology services sector, SB Infowaves, under the leadership of founder and Managing Director Shreya Parasrampuria, is strengthening its global footprint through strategic partnerships, advanced AI-driven offerings, and active participation in major industry platforms.
Founded with a vision to deliver practical, scalable technology solutions, SB Infowaves has grown into a multi-domain digital transformation company offering services across artificial intelligence, machine learning, custom software development, cloud infrastructure, web and mobile applications. The company has positioned itself strongly in emerging areas such as AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), integrating connected devices with intelligent data systems to enable real-time decision-making and automation for businesses across industries.
As the MD, Parasrampuria brings a great combination of finance and strategy, having gained much experience working in PwC and ICICI Bank. She places an emphasis on solving problems and implementing them by creating unique technological platforms. Thanks to her guidance, SB Infowaves managed to increase its delivery across the globe, focusing on the client-centeredness and tangible results.
SB Infowaves is planning to take part in CMPL Expo 2026 that is going to be held between May 4 and June 6, 2026, at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Being considered as one of the most prominent events for the contract manufacturing and private label sector in Asia, the event is going to be attended by such companies as those involved in the FMCG industry.
The involvement of the firm in the CMPL Expo showcases its attempts at expansion into various sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and e-commerce, where there is an increasing demand for AI-based automation, data analytics, and digitization.
It should be highlighted that SB Infowaves has formed an international alliance with X-Venture,US with the intention of delivering innovative Agentic AI services to small firms in the US market. Through this international collaboration, companies would be able to deploy autonomous AI systems that not only perform automation but also take decisions.
By becoming ISO 27001:2022 compliant, along with its wide range of offerings, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Cloud Computing, DevOps, and Data Engineering, SB Infowaves will continue with its position as a reliable technology partner for companies that seek futuristic digital environments.
New Delhi [India], May 4: In a significant development in India’s fast-evolving technology services sector, SB Infowaves, under the leadersh
Shreya Parasrampuria: Heading SB Infowaves with an Aspiration for Scalable Artificial Intelligence Solutions
In today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, businesses are increasingly seeking scalable and intelligent technology solutions to stay competitive. Under the leadership of Shreya Parasrampuria, SB Infowaves has emerged as a growing force in the field of artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and digital transformation.
Founded with a vision to deliver practical and future-ready technology, SB Infowaves has expanded its presence across multiple industries including retail, healthcare, e-commerce, education, and fintech. The company specializes in AI-powered automation, custom software development, blockchain solutions, cloud infrastructure, mobile applications, and advanced analytics.
Shreya Parasrampuria’s professional background in finance and strategic management has helped the company build a strong global foundation. Her leadership focuses on innovation, problem-solving, and delivering measurable business results through technology. With a customer-centric approach, SB Infowaves continues to strengthen its global partnerships and expand into international markets.
One of the company’s major growth areas is Agentic AI and AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), where intelligent systems are integrated with connected devices to improve automation and decision-making. SB Infowaves has also partnered with international organizations like X-Venture in the United States to provide advanced AI solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.
The company’s participation in events such as CMPL Expo 2026 further highlights its growing influence in the AI and digital transformation ecosystem. With ISO-certified operations and a strong commitment to innovation, SB Infowaves is steadily positioning itself as a trusted technology partner for businesses worldwide.
In today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, businesses are increasingly seeking scalable and intelligent technology solutions to stay competitive. Under the leadership of Shreya Parasrampuria, SB Infowaves has emerged as a growing force in the field of artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and digital transformation.
Founded with a vision to deliver practical and future-ready technology, SB Infowaves has expanded its presence across multiple industries including retail, healthcare, e-commerce, education, and fintech. The company specializes in AI-powered automation, custom software development, blockchain solutions, cloud infrastructure, mobile applications, and advanced analytics.
Shreya Parasrampuria’s professional background in finance and strategic management has helped the company build a strong global foundation. Her leadership focuses on innovation, problem-solving, and delivering measurable business results through technology. With a customer-centric approach, SB Infowaves continues to strengthen its global partnerships and expand into international markets.
One of the company’s major growth areas is Agentic AI and AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), where intelligent systems are integrated with connected devices to improve automation and decision-making. SB Infowaves has also partnered with international organizations like X-Venture in the United States to provide advanced AI solutions for small and medium-sized businesses.
The company’s participation in events such as CMPL Expo 2026 further highlights its growing influence in the AI and digital transformation ecosystem. With ISO-certified operations and a strong commitment to innovation, SB Infowaves is steadily positioning itself as a trusted technology partner for businesses worldwide.
Excellent success achieved by SB Infowaves under the leadership of CEO Shreya Parasrampuria
New Delhi , May 4: In a significant development in India’s fast-evolving technology services sector, SB Infowaves, under the leadership
In a significant development in India’s fast-evolving technology services sector, SB Infowaves, under the leadership of founder and Managing Director Shreya Parasrampuria, is strengthening its global footprint through strategic partnerships, advanced AI-driven offerings, and active participation in major industry platforms.
Founded with a vision to deliver practical, scalable technology solutions, SB Infowaves has grown into a multi-domain digital transformation company offering services across artificial intelligence, machine learning, custom software development, cloud infrastructure, web and mobile applications. The company has positioned itself strongly in emerging areas such as AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things), integrating connected devices with intelligent data systems to enable real-time decision-making and automation for businesses across industries.
As the MD, Parasrampuria brings a great combination of finance and strategy, having gained much experience working in PwC and ICICI Bank. She places an emphasis on solving problems and implementing them by creating unique technological platforms. Thanks to her guidance, SB Infowaves managed to increase its delivery across the globe, focusing on the client-centeredness and tangible results.
SB Infowaves is planning to take part in CMPL Expo 2026 that is going to be held between May 4 and June 6, 2026, at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Being considered as one of the most prominent events for the contract manufacturing and private label sector in Asia, the event is going to be attended by such companies as those involved in the FMCG industry.
The involvement of the firm in the CMPL Expo showcases its attempts at expansion into various sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and e-commerce, where there is an increasing demand for AI-based automation, data analytics, and digitization.
It should be highlighted that SB Infowaves has formed an international alliance with X-Venture,US with the intention of delivering innovative Agentic AI services to small firms in the US market. Through this international collaboration, companies would be able to deploy autonomous AI systems that not only perform automation but also take decisions.
Maximizing ROI from ServiceNow CSM Implementation: Metrics That Matter
By 2026, customer experience is not a support mechanism anymore, it is a source of revenue. As per recent reports in the industry, 82% of B2B buyers indicate that service experience has a direct impact on renewal decisions, and that organizations with high levels of service automation record a cost 27 % lower in operations and case resolution processes 35% faster.
The question of whether to or not to implement ServiceNow Customer Service Management is not the real issue to enterprises that have invested in it hence the need to get the most ROI out of the product.
This paper describes the measures actually worth, how to measure them and how companies can use ServiceNow Customer Service Management as a growth engine, not merely a ticketing service.
Why ROI Matters in 2026
Budgets of digital transformation are being questioned. CFOs and CX leaders require value delivery. An effective Customer Service Management implemented solution by ServiceNow can provide:
Reduced case handling time
Higher agent productivity
Greater retention of customers.
Costs of service delivery are reduced.
Increased interdepartmental cooperation.
Nevertheless, ROI will not be realized without organizations following the appropriate performance measures.
ServiceNow CSM Key Metrics to maximize ROI.
1. First Call Resolution (FCR).
Why it matters:
In 2026, organizations that have capable omnichannel systems have an average FCR rate of 74% on average as compared to the 58 percent of the traditional systems.
How ServiceNow Helps:
ServiceNow Customer Service Management will allow the agents to resolve problems without reescalating them with the help of AI-based routing and contextual case visibility.
ROI Impact:
Lower operational cost
Increased customer satisfaction.
Decreased repetitive interactions.
2. Average Resolution Time (ART)
The customers demand immediate services. It has been found out that 68 percent of B2B customers want their problems solved within 24 hours.
ServiceNow Customer Service Management decreases the number of resolution times by up to 30 % in large companies through workflow automation and the removal of manual handoffs.
ROI Impact:
Faster ticket closures
Reduced backlog
Improved SLA compliance
3. Self-service Case Volume Reduction.
Firms that deploy self-service portals based on artificial intelligence experience a decrease in the volume of tickets by 25-40% in 2026.
ServiceNow Customer Service Management provides customers with the ability to resolve common problems without the need of human assistance by providing knowledge bases, communities, and virtual agents.
ROI Impact:
Reduced cost per ticket
24/7 availability
Greater empowerment of customers.
4. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Net Promoter Score (NPS).
The average CSAT score and improvement in NPS of the high-performing service organizations reflects 88% CSAT and 20–25% NPS improvement; post-digital service transformation.
ServiceNow Customer Service Management has a direct positive impact on the perception of the customers by providing them with omnichannel support and individual case management.
ROI Impact:
Higher renewals
Reduced churn
More upsell possibilities.
5. SLA Compliance Rate
The service level agreements directly influence the brand trust. Organizations that have contemporary CSM platforms exhibit SLA compliance levels more than 92 years old, versus 76 years old in old platforms.
ServiceNow Customer Service Management can track and automate management of SLA and in the process achieve transparency and accountability.
Advanced ROI Drivers in 2026
Anticipatory & Foreseeable Service.
Issues are proactively solved and this minimises churn. Organizations that have used predictive analytics in the Customer Service Management of ServiceNow have reported:
18% reduction in escalations
15% growth in renewal of contracts.
22 % quicker field service scheduling.
This reactive to proactive service transformation has economic effect.
Front, Middle and Back Office Integration.
Ineffective systems are disconnected. ServiceNow Customer Service Management eradicates data silos when it is combined with CRM, ERP, and knowledge systems.
Companies that are fully integrated ecosystems report:
29 % accelerated in-house cooperation.
31% reduction in cross-team resolution time.
Integration leads to productivity - and productivity leads to ROI.
ServiceNow CSM ROI Calculation.
ROI Maximizing Best Practices.
1. Specify KPIs that are measurable.
2. Correlate business objectives and service measures.
3. Invest in agent training
4. Continuous process optimization.
5. Take advantage of analytics dashboard.
6. Monitor adoption rates
Companies, which position ServiceNow Customer Service Management as a strategic change initiative, rather than a technology implementation, receive much greater returns.
Why Investment Future-Proofing Matters.
The expectations of the customers keep changing. With the help of AI, automation, and predictive intelligence in ServiceNow Customer Service Management, enterprises become competitive.
Scalability, compliance, data security and continuous improvement should be kept as the center of focus areas in order to ensure the ROI persists even after the initial deployment.
To gain the maximum ROI of ServiceNow CSM implementation, it is necessary to do more than just roll out technology but to monitor the appropriate metrics to track them, align it with the business purpose, and make service delivery a continuous process.
ServiceNow Customer Service Management is an influential platform that can convert customer service into a revenue-handling operation due to significant improvements in FCR, resolution time, cost per case, SLA compliance, CSAT and productivity.
Suma Soft, Accenture, Cognizant and Infosys are the key implementation partners in this sphere who help enterprises to realize quantifiable business value out of investments in their CSM.
It is the organizations which concentrate on metrics which may matter presently that will be in the forefront in customer experience innovation in 2026 and later.
