As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into process automation software, industry nomenclature is evolving. A recent example is the newly renamed “Intelligent Automation Initiative” at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.
In 2021, GMU’s Center for Business Civic Engagement (CBCE) at the Schar School of Policy and Government launched the program to promote public understanding and education, engage in research of applications and results, and provide an academic stage for discussion of public policy issues relating to RPA. Acknowledging how software automation has changed, the institution said the new name will better reflect its mission.
“Today, the RPA Initiative announced the inclusion of other digital technologies beyond RPA in its mission that move successful automation practices and tools being utilized,” said David K. Rehr, PhD, co-founder of the RPA Initiative. “The technology continues to quickly evolve around us, and our original name no longer represents our contributions in their entirety. Our journey enters a new phase. We see a continuous significant influx of new automation tech solutions enabled by Artificial Intelligence since the initiative launched in 2021.”