--- sourceDocument: Australia Impact sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/impact Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Impact ft:clusterId : - ipact bundleId : - ipact --- # Prevent and resolve technical debt with AI # Prevent and resolve technical debt with AI {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Australia * * Updated August 11, 2026 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Prevent and resolve technical debt with AI ServiceNow's Australia release introduces AI-driven capabilities to prevent and remediate technical debt in your ServiceNow instances. By leveraging the Scan Engine and the ServiceNow Otto AI agent, you can detect coding standard violations and generate automated fixes either in real time during development or through batch remediation after scans. This approach enhances platform health by reducing manual remediation effort, improving code quality, and maintaining consistent coding standards. Show full answer Show less ## AI-Powered Workflows There are two primary workflows for applying AI-generated code fixes: * **Real-time Prevention:** While actively coding, violations are detected inline when saving records. Developers can generate and apply AI fixes immediately to prevent technical debt from progressing to production and minimize time spent in code reviews. * **Batch Remediation:** After completing scans, violations are listed in a dashboard where AI fixes can be generated individually or in bulk to efficiently remediate existing technical debt and reduce manual correction errors. Both workflows utilize the same unified AI engine, ensuring consistency regardless of when fixes are applied. The engine analyzes code against defined scan rules, presents side-by-side comparisons of original versus suggested code, and allows developers to accept, reject, or modify fixes. Exception handling is also integrated, and all changes are tracked with audit trails within active update sets for compliance. ## AI-Suggested Fix Capabilities The AI fix engine addresses common coding issues such as: * Replacing deprecated APIs with current alternatives (e.g., gs.log to gs.error) * Adding missing error handlers to avoid unhandled exceptions * Correcting scoped app API usage to align with ServiceNow guidelines * Removing unsafe or deprecated functions to enhance security * Formatting code for adherence to style guidelines and maintainability ## Key Benefits * **Faster Development:** Instant application of AI-generated fixes expedites coding and reduces manual review. * **Consistency:** Standardized fixes maintain uniform coding practices across your codebase. * **Learning Opportunity:** Side-by-side code comparisons help developers understand best practices and ServiceNow standards. * **Scalability:** Bulk fix generation allows remediation of multiple violations efficiently. * **Reduced Risk:** Validated AI fix patterns and comprehensive audit trails support compliance and minimize errors. ## Next Steps Choose the workflow that fits your current needs: * If coding actively and aiming to prevent debt before committing, use the real-time prevention workflow. * If addressing findings from completed scans, use batch remediation to apply AI-generated fixes. Use the Scan Engine and ServiceNow Otto AI agent to prevent technical debt as you code or remediate existing findings from completed scans. Impact Platform Health delivers AI-generated code fixes at two critical points in your development lifecycle. Whether you're actively writing code or cleaning up existing technical debt, the Scan Engine detects violations against your defined coding standards and ServiceNow Otto generates fixes automatically. This unified approach reduces manual remediation time and improves platform quality across your ServiceNow instances. The Scan Engine examines your instances for findings related to active definitions stored in the Scan Findings table. You can view findings, apply manual fixes, generate AI-suggested fixes, or submit exceptions for findings you believe aren't valid. ## Prevention and remediation workflows {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__two_approaches} AI-powered code fixes are available through two distinct workflows. Understanding which workflow applies to your situation helps you take action quickly. {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__two_approaches__entry__3} | Workflow | When You Use It | Outcome | |-|-|-| | Real-time Prevention | * You're actively writing or modifying code in your development environment. * When you save a record, the Scan Engine detects violations inline and you generate an AI fix before committing or promoting the code. {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__ul_nl1_yck_ckc} | * Prevents technical debt from reaching production. * Reduces time spent in code review cycles. | | Batch Remediation | * A scan has completed and findings are displayed in the findings dashboard. * You review the list of violations and generate AI fixes in bulk or individually to clean existing technical debt. {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__ul_mkj_zck_ckc} | * Accelerates remediation of existing issues. * Reduces manual development effort and errors when fixing production code. | [Table 1. AI-powered code fix workflows] ## Unified AI engine {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__unified_ai_engine} Whether you're preventing technical debt during development or remediating findings from scans, you interact with the same AI fix generation engine. * ServiceNow Otto AI agent analyzes your code against scan definitions * Side-by-side code comparison interface shows original code versus suggested changes * You accept, reject, or revise suggested fixes using the same controls * Exception workflows for Recommend level findings follow the same process * All changes are tracked in your active update set with full audit trails ## AI-suggested fix capabilities {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__ai_fix_capabilities} The AI fix engine handles common coding violations quickly and accurately. Common fix types include the following: * Replacing deprecated API calls with current equivalents, for example, gs.log to gs.error * Adding missing error handlers to prevent unhandled exceptions * Correcting scoped app API usage to match ServiceNow general guidelines * Removing unsafe or deprecated functions to improve security * Formatting code to match style guidelines and improve maintainability ## Key benefits {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__key_benefits} * Faster development: Developers can apply AI-generated fixes instantly instead of manually reviewing and correcting code * Consistency: All fixes follow the same coding standards and patterns, reducing variability across your codebase * Learning: Side-by-side code comparisons help developers understand ServiceNow general guidelines and leading practices * Scale: Bulk generate fixes to remediate dozens of violations in one workflow instead of fixing them individually * Reduced risk: AI fixes are generated from validated patterns and include full audit trails for compliance ## Next steps {#prevent-resolve-technical-debt-ai__next_steps} Choose the workflow that matches your current task. * You're writing code and want to catch violations before saving, See [Use Real-time prevention monitoring while coding](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/2u12Mrp4pctDa9dzpV15hw "As you write and save code, the Scan Engine detects violations in real-time and displays findings inline. You can then generate an AI-suggested fix before committing your changes.") * A scan has completed and you want to fix existing findings, See [Remediate existing findings with AI-suggested fixes](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/XyH1f~DueZSPYIvbSKM5Sg "After a scan completes and populates findings, use the AI-Eligible Findings dashboard to generate and apply AI-suggested fixes in bulk or individually to accelerate remediation of technical debt.").