NVIDIA and ServiceNow Unveil Project Arc: Autonomous AI Agents for Enterprise Workflows

Enterprise AI has evolved beyond generating and reasoning—now it’s about action. At ServiceNow Knowledge 2026, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott announced an expanded partnership to bring autonomous AI agents into enterprise environments. The result is Project Arc, a secure, governable desktop agent designed for knowledge workers. Below, we explore the key details of this collaboration.

What is the new partnership between NVIDIA and ServiceNow?

NVIDIA and ServiceNow are deepening their collaboration to deliver specialized autonomous AI agents that are safe, easy to adopt, and tailored for enterprise workflows. The partnership combines NVIDIA’s accelerated computing, open models, and secure agent execution software (NVIDIA OpenShell) with ServiceNow’s Action Fabric and AI Control Tower for workflow context and governance. Announced at ServiceNow Knowledge 2026, this initiative aims to move beyond simple prompts to agents that can act autonomously across real business processes, all while maintaining control and consistency.

What is Project Arc and how does it work?

Project Arc is a long-running, self-evolving autonomous desktop agent designed for developers, IT teams, and administrators. Unlike standalone AI agents, it connects natively to the ServiceNow AI Platform via the Action Fabric, enabling governance, auditability, and workflow intelligence. Project Arc can access local file systems, terminals, and installed applications to complete complex, multistep tasks that traditional automation cannot handle. It operates with enterprise-grade controls, allowing deployment at scale without exposing sensitive data.

How does Project Arc ensure security and governance?

Security is built from the ground up using NVIDIA OpenShell, an open source secure runtime for developing and deploying autonomous agents in sandboxed, policy-governed environments. ServiceNow is contributing to OpenShell to create a common foundation for secure agent execution. With OpenShell, enterprises can define what an agent can see, which tools it can use, and how each action is contained. Combined with ServiceNow’s AI Control Tower, every action taken by Project Arc is logged, auditable, and governed, preventing unauthorized data exposure or system access.

How does Project Arc differ from other AI agents?

Project Arc is designed specifically for enterprise environments, focusing on context, control, and consistency. Unlike consumer agents that operate independently, Project Arc integrates deeply with the ServiceNow platform, ensuring every action is tied to real workflows and governed by enterprise policies. It handles long-running, autonomous tasks—such as system administration or development workflows—and can evolve over time. The agent uses open models and domain-specific skills, making it customizable for each organization’s unique needs while maintaining security and efficiency.

What technologies power Project Arc?

Project Arc is built on a stack that includes NVIDIA accelerated computing for efficient tokenomics (cost-effective AI operations), open models that can be fine-tuned, and domain-specific skills for various enterprise functions. It uses NVIDIA OpenShell as a secure runtime and ServiceNow’s Action Fabric to feed workflow context into the agent. The AI Control Tower provides overarching governance. This combination ensures that agents are not only powerful but also adaptable and safe for large-scale enterprise deployment.

What are the main benefits for enterprises adopting Project Arc?

Enterprises gain the ability to automate complex, multistep tasks that previously required human intervention, freeing knowledge workers to focus on higher-value activities. Project Arc provides audibility and governance, critical for compliance and risk management. The use of open models allows organizations to customize agents to their specific workflows and data, while the secure runtime prevents security breaches. Additionally, the partnership with NVIDIA ensures high performance and cost efficiency through optimized tokenomics, making autonomous AI scalable for any enterprise.

What are the next steps for this collaboration?

NVIDIA and ServiceNow plan to continue evolving Project Arc by contributing to open source projects like OpenShell and expanding the library of domain-specific skills. Both companies are working on integrating additional enterprise tools and data sources, as well as improving agent autonomy while maintaining strong controls. The ultimate goal is to make autonomous AI agents a standard part of enterprise workflows, enabling safer, more efficient operations across industries.