What RPA is and how it differs from AI
The RPA robot has no arms: it is a program that moves a virtual mouse and keyboard on the same screens your staff use. It was created to connect old systems that do not talk to each other, without rewriting them. It works well when the process is stable and the data always arrives in the same format.
Its weak point is rigidity. If a supplier changes the layout of its invoice or the management software moves a button, the robot stops. This is where AI comes in: it reads documents written in free form, interprets emails, decides how to classify a case. Today many automations combine the two: AI understands, RPA executes.
An example in an SMB
Every evening Mario copied orders from a large customer's portal into the company's management software: an hour of clicking. An RPA robot now logs into the portal, downloads the orders, enters them into the management software and sends a summary. When the portal changed its look, the robot got stuck, and a technician was needed to reconfigure it.
The most common mistakes
- Using RPA for processes that change often, where you will spend more time repairing the robot than working.
- Automating a confusing process as it is, instead of simplifying it first.
- Choosing RPA when the software already offers an API, which is more stable.
Why it matters to you
If you have an ageing management system and a lot of copy-pasting between programs, RPA can save you hours. But check how often the screens change.
All the AI terms explained simply are in the glossary.
Frequently asked questions
Are RPA and computer use the same thing?
They do similar work, but RPA follows recorded steps, while computer use looks at the screen and decides what to do each time.
Does RPA need programmers?
Many platforms let you record the steps without code, but for robust processes you still need someone with experience.
Read next
What OCR is and how AI reads invoices and documents
OCR (optical character recognition) is the technology that turns the text in an image or a scanned PDF into real text that you can copy, search and process.
GlossaryWhat an AI agent is, and how it differs from a chatbot
A chatbot answers. An agent acts: it decides the steps, uses software and sees a task through.
GlossaryWhat no-code (and low-code) means for businesses
No-code and low-code are ways of building software and automations with visual interfaces, dragging blocks and connecting them instead of writing code. With no-code you don't program at all; with low-code you add a little code only where you need it.
Want to understand what your business really needs, without the jargon? Let's talk.
Text and graphics created with the support of AI. Method and content are AIR's.