What Is Intelligent Automation?

What Is Intelligent Automation?

What is intelligent automation?

Intelligent automation combines artificial intelligence with traditional process automation so software can handle work that needs judgment, not just fixed rules. Where basic automation follows a script, intelligent automation can read, interpret, and decide.

What it isAI plus process automation

Software that can handle work that needs judgment, not just fixed rules.

What it can doRead, interpret, decide

Where basic automation follows a script, intelligent automation can read, interpret, and decide.

Where it sitsThe bridge

Between rigid automation and full AI agents.

Against RPAHandles variation

RPA follows fixed rules. Intelligent automation adds AI so it can handle variation and ambiguity.

Picture processing invoices that arrive in a dozen different formats. Rule based automation chokes on the variation. Intelligent automation reads each one, understands it, and routes it correctly, the way a person would, only faster and at scale.

  1. Reads each oneEven when invoices arrive in a dozen different formats.
  2. Understands itWhere rule based automation chokes on the variation.
  3. Routes it correctlyThe way a person would, only faster and at scale.

It is the bridge between rigid automation and full AI agents, and it is the most practical place to start.

Figure 1. Where intelligent automation sits

Intelligent automation as the bridge between rigid automation and full AI agents: basic automation follows a script and RPA follows fixed rules; intelligent automation can read, interpret, and decide, and handles variation and ambiguityThe bridge between rigid automation and full AI agentsRigid automationBasic automationfollows a scriptRPA followsfixed rulesIntelligentautomationCan read, interpret,and decideHandles variationand ambiguityFull AI agents

Drawn from this post’s own lines: the bridge between rigid automation and full AI agents, and what each side does in the post’s words. Nothing in it is a measurement.

Related terms: business process automation, agentic AI, AI agent.

How is intelligent automation different from RPA?

RPA follows fixed rules. Intelligent automation adds AI so it can handle variation and ambiguity.

RPA

  • Follows fixed rules

Intelligent automation

  • Adds AI so it can handle variation and ambiguity
  • Can read, interpret, and decide
FREE PoC
RPA breaks. AI hallucinates. Intelligent automation does neither.
Deterministic flows + AI judgement, exceptions handled, humans in the loop only when needed.
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