Chatbots in IT service management: A systematic mapping on service desk, incident management and operational resilience

Abstract

The application of artificial intelligence in Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) has emerged as one of the main drivers of innovation for improving operational efficiency and service continuity. In this context, this study aimed to characterize the current state of research on chatbots applied to ITSM through a systematic mapping study, following the methodological guidelines proposed by Petersen and the PRISMA 2020 statement. The literature search was conducted in Scopus, Google Scholar, ACM Digital Library, and SpringerLink, retrieving 668 records, of which 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicate a predominance of transformer-based models and large language models (LLMs) in the proposed solutions. Furthermore, operational resilience is primarily assessed using indicators such as Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) and Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance. In addition, the main research gaps identified include the lack of longitudinal evaluations and standardized metrics to assess organizational impact. Chatbots represent a strategic technology for ITSM automation; however, further advances are still required in their evaluation, validation, and integration with IT service management frameworks