UiPath, known for its robotic process automation (RPA) technology, has introduced a new concept: agentic automation. It uses tools like Agent Builder and Autopilot to enhance automation capabilities across complex, end-to-end business processes.
Agent Builder empowers developers and business users to create custom agents, while Autopilot offers a GenAI-driven conversational interface for productivity enhancement. Together, these tools enable dynamic, real-time decision-making, extending automation beyond traditional RPA and supporting more diverse use cases across sectors.
“Agentic automation is the natural evolution of RPA,” said Daniel Dines, founder and CEO of UiPath. “Since our inception, we have helped our customers revolutionise their businesses by emulating humans through robotic process automation.
“Now, we’re advancing enterprise automation with agents, allowing customers to automate entire end-to-end processes and orchestrate workflows seamlessly. The result is more substantial business outcomes, greater productivity, and more customer-facing direct benefits from automation.”
Industries such as financial services, healthcare, and logistics, where distinct requirements are common, could benefit from this adaptive approach to automation, helping streamline processes and manage operational costs effectively.
Agent Builder
Central to UiPath’s agentic automation strategy is Agent Builder, a tool that allows developers and business users to create and deploy custom agents within the UiPath Platform. With Agent Builder, users can design agents from scratch or customise pre-existing agents from the UiPath Agent Catalog. This low-code tool is intended to support users across technical backgrounds, enabling them to create agents that work alongside UiPath’s RPA technology.
Graham Sheldon, chief product officer at UiPath, said: “Agents allow anyone to handle more complex tasks and brand-new scenarios, which provides tremendous value to our customers.”
“Providing customers with the ability to build their own specialised agents in a simple, low-code integrated development environment or a pre-built template makes it easy for them to automate new use cases, avoid costs, and stay ahead of competitors.”
Expected for preview in December 2024, Agent Builder integrates with UiPath tools, enabling businesses to create agents suited to complex workflows. This development puts the capability to customise automation directly in the hands of those familiar with specific business needs. One can register for the preview here.
Autopilot
UiPath also introduced Autopilot, a GenAI-powered conversational agent intended to enhance productivity across employee roles. With Autopilot, users can automate tasks ranging from document analysis to data entry through a conversational interface. It leverages UiPath’s AI models tailored for specific tasks, providing access to an extensive automation library to streamline workflows.
“At UiPath, we believe strongly in the democratisation of this type of technology because we’ve seen firsthand how valuable it is for our customers,” said Sheldon.
“We’re excited to help break down barriers to widespread agentic automation adoption so that everyone can take advantage of the numerous benefits that Autopilot brings to everyday work.”
Autopilot operates with UiPath’s AI Trust Layer, ensuring governance for data usage, and supports both Windows and Mac, making it accessible across various organisational setups.
* Visit the UiPath website here.