Automation Anywhere, a leading robotic process automation vendor, has announced the addition of new generative AI capabilities to its Automation Success Platform. The unveiling of Autopilot and Automation Co-Pilot for Automators was made at the vendor’s Imagine 2023 user conference and is expected to be available in the first half of next year. These tools join the existing set of Automation Co-Pilots, which are based on generative AI and cater to both business users and automators.
Autopilot enables users to quickly move from process discovery to automation by utilizing generative AI. Automation Co-Pilot for Automators allows citizen and professional developers to create automations using natural language. Additionally, Automation Anywhere introduced new features focused on automation AI governance, including model selection, data privacy controls, and monitoring and audit capabilities. These tools enable users to manage generative AI models from different providers, provide data privacy protection through data masking, and monitor model performance while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
The introduction of these new capabilities is aimed at organizations that are familiar with the benefits of robotic process automation (RPA) but require assistance in accelerating their automation rollout and maintaining best practices. According to analyst Matt Mullen, the challenge lies in the initial stages of the automation value chain, where organizations need to analyze processes and make informed decisions about which processes are suitable for automation.
In spite of the potential benefits of generative AI, there is still skepticism among customers about its reliability and value. Alan Pelz-Sharpe, analyst and founder of Deep Analysis, states that while generative AI can speed up automation development cycles, the primary challenge lies in conducting thorough business analysis rather than configuring automation tools. Additionally, there is a lack of governance for AI-related technology in most organizations.
The introduction of governance tools by Automation Anywhere addresses this need, as indicated by Pelz-Sharpe. Kashyap Kompella, analyst at RPA2AI Research, emphasizes that while governance tools are essential for deploying AI in enterprises, there are other challenges that organizations face in scaling enterprise automation, such as dealing with isolated data sources and achieving partial automation. Kompella advises organizations to adopt an enterprise-wide generative AI strategy for successful implementation.
Sources:
Esther Ajao, TechTarget (News Writer)
Deep Analysis (Matt Mullen, Alan Pelz-Sharpe)
RPA2AI Research (Kashyap Kompella)