AI Automation Glossary

RPA (Robotic Process Automation)

Bot-based automation that mimics human clicks — increasingly replaced by AI agents.

Software that automates repetitive computer tasks by recording and replaying human interactions — mouse clicks, keystrokes, and screen reads. RPA bots follow rigid, predefined scripts and break when applications change.

How it works in enterprise automation

RPA emerged in the 2010s as a way to automate high-volume, repetitive tasks without modifying underlying systems. A bot is trained on a workflow by recording the exact steps. When it works, it's fast. The problems are well-documented: brittleness (any UI update breaks the bot), inability to handle exceptions, high maintenance cost, and inability to process unstructured data like emails and PDFs. Modern enterprises are replacing RPA with Agentic Process Automation — AI agents that understand intent, use APIs rather than screen-scraping, handle exceptions intelligently, and are maintained in plain English rather than code.

Related terms

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