Definition
Automation
Technology carrying out specific tasks according to rules a human has defined. Unlike an agent, it follows the instructions rather than deciding how to reach a goal.
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Related terms in Agents & Automation
AI workflowThe end-to-end process of building and running an AI system: preparing data, training, testing, deploying, and maintaining the model.AI workflow engineerA developer who designs AI systems that produce code and other output.Ambient agentsAI coding agents running continuously in the background on development tasks.Atomic TaskThe smallest unit of implementation work an AI coding agent can execute in a single turn without requiring additional context, clarification, or mid-task correction. An atomic task has a defined start state (what exists in the codebase), a defined end state (what should exist after), and clear acceptance criteria (tests pass, linting clean). The goal of requirement decomposition in AI-native development is to produce tasks atomic enough that the agent completes each one before context drift introduces errors. Tasks that require mid-execution judgment calls are not yet atomic — they need further decomposition.Autonomous sponsorship agentAn AI system that sources, matches, and closes sponsorship and partnership deals for creators without a human sales team in the loop.AutopilotsMicrosoft's new category of always-on agents with their own identity, announced at Build 2026, beginning with a product called Scout.Bot sittingBabysitting an off-the-shelf model through a task by feeding it context verbally, in real time, every session.BPM (Business Process Management)The evolution of BPO with technology layered on top — automation, AI, and analytics rather than just labor arbitrage.