Difference Between AI and Automation
In today’s corporate climate, businesses are increasingly relying on technologies like AI and automation. But it is important to note that these terms are not interchangeable — they represent different ideas with distinct benefits for business.
This article will explore the differences between AI and automation, as well as how to decide which one is right for your company’s specific needs.
Truth about AI and automation
A few clients have approached us under the assumption that AI is a catchall solution for any and all technology-related issues. However, this couldn’t be further from reality; AI refers to systems that can learn and adapt through experience while automation deals with executing specific tasks automatically based on a set of predetermined rules.
AI involves machines’ ability to imitate human intelligence such as learning, natural language understanding (NLU), decision-making etc., Virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa are good examples of artificial intelligence systems while recommendation systems like Amazon’s “Customers who bought also…” section falls into this category too among others such as voice recognition software programs used by speech therapists across different age groups.
On the other hand, automation refers simply to making something work without human intervention which often means repetitive or routine tasks being done by the system itself following certain instructions given earlier either explicitly stated within its program code/script file(s) where applicable including actions taken based only upon if/then statements involving conditionals (If X occurs then do Y).
Automations should not be thought of as less advanced than AIs. They each have their own strengths and best use cases. In fact, many times an organization might find automations more effective or efficient for what it wants to achieve.
Automations can be very powerful tools that simplify numerous aspects of running a business operation. For instance imagine you run an online retail store; when products get bought there need notifying people about how close those items are approaching delivery completion status so they expect arrival soon enough such event would prompt customer satisfaction while also reducing work load on customer service representatives who would otherwise have manually texted or emailed clients using software applications like WhatsApp.
Another use case is streamlining internal processes such as inventory management through automation. If done right with relevant systems interconnected, this can save time by minimizing human error and ensuring product availability whenever needed thereby meeting customer demand always.
Does your company need AI or automation?
Ultimately whether you go with artificial intelligence or automated solutions largely depends on what exactly it is that you hope to achieve within your organization. If improving efficiency in dealing with customers coupled personalizing experiences then AI might be the way forward; however if all one wants do is make things faster without necessarily caring much about individuality involved during such transactions then automations represent better options since they help cut down manual workload required from staff members which in turn could allow for more strategic thinking around certain business areas having higher value adds associated therewith.
Automations are particularly good for tasks that follow a clear and predictable pattern, such as order processing, scheduling social media posts, database management etc., Introducing automation into these areas can free up time and resources so they can be channeled towards other activities where they will yield greater returns in terms of value creation for the firm.
