As advancements in artificial intelligence continue to dominate news reports, process automation software providers continue to integrate the technology into their platforms and end users are increasingly comfortable using the technology. According to a new UiPath report, integration and usage of AI in automated business processes will increase throughout the year, making 2024 the “Year of AI Integration.”
The New York City-based process automation pioneer published its annual State of the Automation Profession Report this week and found that 90 percent of those polled are using or plan to use AI in their products this year. Two-thirds of those respondents cited increased productivity as the primary driver of integrating AI into workflows.
“In the past year, the data from our survey shows progress with technological discovery and preparation for AI and automation” said Agi Garaba, Chief People Officer at UiPath. “Automation professionals are benefiting greatly from taking a leap forward with specialized AI and GenAI integrations in their automation projects, with even more capable agentic AI workflows on the horizon. The combination of business automation and AI holds incredible potential to transform organizations, increasing productivity while empowering these critical professionals to take their careers to the next level.”
Nearly 2,000 automation professionals, both technology providers and end users, were surveyed for the report. Other key findings include:
- 70% of automation professionals believe they will remain in the industry for the next five years
- More than 84% of respondents believe in the growth of the software automation space, and 80% believe they will have an increasingly important role in their organization in the next year
- 60% of respondents said their organization has used software automation for 5+ years, compared to 47% last year
- 81% of respondents indicate they use AI products in their automation projects at least a few times per week, if not daily