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AI vs Automation: The Ultimate Guide (2023)

by | May 19, 2023

Both AI and automation are hot topics today. Gartner predicts that 69% of all routine managerial work will be automated by 2024. And by the same year, the global AI market will grow to over half a trillion US dollars.

But what exactly is the difference between AI and automation? It can be confusing, right? After all, they’re both technologies with lots of overlap. Don’t worry, though.  We’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll look at how AI vs automation compares. Then, we’ll explore what these technologies mean for your business. See how to start using AI + automation in your organization. Let’s dive in!

illustration of capacity offering a user the choice of "yes" or "no" to the question "would you recommend this product to a friend" as well as a response from capacity saying "great, how would you rate your overall experience with us today" and then four stars out of five selected

Automate Your Work

Capacity’s enterprise AI chatbot can help:

  • Answer FAQs anytime, anywhere
  • Find relevant documents within seconds
  • Give surveys and collect feedback

What is automation?

In today’s fast-paced world, everyone’s looking for ways to improve their operations. We all want to stay ahead of the competition. As many as 85% of managers think automating certain tasks will give their team more time to concentrate on bigger goals. This is where automation comes in handy. But we’re not talking about the clunky and basic automation of the past. We’re talking about intelligent automation that revolutionizes the way businesses operate.

Image showing how automating tasks frees teams up to focus on more important tasks.

Automation uses technology to automate or streamline business processes and activities. Automated systems can manage routine tasks. Automation helps you collect data from various sources. It can help process information, provide customer support, and manage workflow processes. Automation also makes it easier for businesses to save resources and work more efficiently.

What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

We’ve all heard of it – AI, or artificial intelligence. But what does it mean for businesses?

Put simply, AI is the use of technology to simulate human intelligence. It can help businesses, from streamlining operations to enhancing customer experiences. By using AI, companies can automate tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming or difficult to do manually. This means that employees can focus on more important tasks while the machine takes care of the rest. Since its invention, AI has led to a 40% boost in productivity for businesses worldwide.

Image showing how AI helps boost productivity.

AI can also assist in analyzing data. With AI, uncover trends and insights that would be difficult for humans to discover. Whether you’re a small business owner or a CEO of a major corporation, adding AI technology can impact your bottom line.

The importance of AI and automation for businesses

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are two of our most significant technological developments. They’re changing the way businesses operate and are shaping the future of work. Today, AI and automation are essential business tools. They can improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability. Ultimately, AI allows companies to make better decisions, faster.

The benefits of AI and automation extend beyond the bottom line, too. By reducing human error, they can enhance the quality of products and services. They provide organizations with valuable insights and capabilities that were once unimaginable. Businesses that fail to embrace these transformative technologies risk falling behind their competitors.

5 benefits of AI and automation

Here are five incredible benefits that AI and automation can offer businesses:

Image showing the benefits of AI and automation.
  • Enhanced Productivity. AI and automation can streamline operations. This allows employees to focus on more critical tasks and increases productivity.
  • Improved Decision Making. AI-based systems can analyze data from various sources to uncover trends and insights. This is work that could take humans days or weeks to process. But with AI and automation, you can improve the accuracy of decisions. And you’ll increase efficiency.
  • Predictive Maintenance. AI and automation can help businesses anticipate potential problems before they occur. This allows for prompt repairs or replacements before significant issues arise.
  • Cost Savings: Automating processes can reduce costs by minimizing manual labor. Automation speeds up complex calculations and eliminates repetitive tasks prone to human error.
  • Better Customer Experiences. AI-based customer service systems can respond quickly and accurately to customer queries. This fast service provides personalized experiences that build brand loyalty.

AI vs automation: The main differences

AI and automation have become more and more popular. While both can change how companies operate, it’s important to understand their differences. Automation involves using technology to reduce human intervention in repetitive tasks.

In contrast, AI takes automation one step further. AI uses complex algorithms and machine learning to simulate intelligent decision-making. It can adapt to new data and provide insights beyond what a programmatic system can achieve. In essence, automation can simplify processes, while AI can offer a new level of analysis to inform and shape business decisions.

Let’s take a deeper look at a few of the main differences:

illustration of capacity offering a user the choice of "yes" or "no" to the question "would you recommend this product to a friend" as well as a response from capacity saying "great, how would you rate your overall experience with us today" and then four stars out of five selected

Automate Your Work

Capacity’s enterprise AI chatbot can help:

  • Answer FAQs anytime, anywhere
  • Find relevant documents within seconds
  • Give surveys and collect feedback

Business tasks vs human-like conversation

Automation uses technology to automate or streamline business processes and activities. AI uses technology to simulate human intelligence.

Pre-defined rules vs natural language

Automation typically follows pre-defined rules. In contrast, AI uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning. With these technologies, bots can understand human language and complete tasks for you.

Reactive vs autonomous behavior

Automation is reactive in responding to user commands and instructions. AI should be to be autonomous. AI can act without requiring user input.

Simpler tasks vs complex tasks

Automation is best suited for completing more straightforward tasks. Examples include data entry and customer service. At the same time, AI can handle more complex cognitive tasks. This includes facial recognition, natural language processing, and predictive analytics.

Overall, both automation and AI are transforming the business landscape. These technologies allow businesses to streamline operations, save costs, and enhance customer experiences.

Robotic process automation vs AI

Robotic process automation (RPA) and AI are hot buzzwords in the tech industry. While they may seem similar, RPA and AI are actually quite different.

RPA is a technology that automates repetitive tasks by mimicking human behavior. It handles tasks like data entry. RPA tech can process invoices and order confirmations, and fill out forms. On the other hand, AI goes beyond automation. AI can perform complex tasks that need decision-making and analysis. It can also analyze data sets, recognize patterns, and make informed decisions based on that data.

In short, AI is better suited for tasks that require human-like intelligence, while RPA handles rule-based tasks. But both technologies have their own unique advantages. When they can work together, they create a more efficient workflow.

Examples of AI vs automation

AI and automation are transforming the way businesses operate. Here are a few examples of how to use both:

Image showing AI and automation examples.

Data Collection

Automation can streamline the data collection from various sources, such as web forms and databases. AI technology then takes it a step further by analyzing that data to uncover trends and insights.

Customer Support

Automation can manage basic customer questions using chatbots or automated emails with predefined responses. AI-based systems are more complex. They use NLP to understand customer conversations and respond accordingly.

Predictive Maintenance

Automation can help businesses expect potential problems before they arise. They do this through programmed systems that track equipment performance in real-time. AI enables predictive maintenance by using advanced algorithms to analyze patterns in data sets.

Process Automation

Automation can streamline routine processes such as invoicing, payroll calculations, and order confirmations. AI-powered automation takes it one step further. It provides intelligent analytics and insights to help businesses make better decisions faster.

Personalization

Automation can help customize user experiences. Bots can provide personalized content, such as product recommendations or discounts. AI technology can analyze customers’ behavior, creating personalized experiences to establish loyalty and trust.

By using the power of automation and AI, businesses can improve their operations. Both technologies help you to remain competitive in an ever-changing market.

How Capacity uses AI and automation to help businesses

At Capacity, we understand the importance of AI and automation for businesses. That’s why we designed our platform to revolutionize how you do customer service. Our AI-powered automation solutions can help you automate mundane tasks. Some examples include data entry, answering FAQs, and password resets. Ultimately, we want to free your team to focus on more strategic projects.

In a nutshell, Capacity helps companies:

  • Deflect over 90% of tickets away from support teams
  • Prevent tickets from being created in the first place
  • Automate tedious tasks to save valuable time

We understand that each business is unique and has its own specific needs. That’s why we provide personalized solutions. We’ll tailor our product to your exact requirements so that you can get the most out of our platform.

Try Capacity for free today!

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