Automation professionals embracing AI

Nine in 10 automation professionals are using or planning to use AI within the next year, according to new research published by UiPath.

A survey of 1909 automation professionals and students found that the primary reason respondents are turning to AI is increased productivity (66%).

Automation professionals are utilising AI for various purposes, including writing code (67%), creating documentation (57%) and testing (47%), the report found. Meanwhile 81% of respondents indicate they use AI products in their automation projects at least a few times per week, and only 19% are finding it difficult to incorporate AI into automation.

UiPath Chief People Officer Agi Garaba said the research demonstrates progress with technological discovery and preparation for AI and automation.

“Automation professionals are benefiting greatly from taking a leap forward with specialised AI and GenAI integrations in their automation projects, with even more capable agentic AI workflows on the horizon,” she said. “The combination of business automation and AI holds incredible potential to transform organisations, increasing productivity while empowering these critical professionals to take their careers to the next level.”

The survey also indicates that automation professionals are confident in the future of the technology, with 84% anticipating growth in the software automation space, and 80% believing they will have an increasingly important role in their organisation by next year.

Seven in 10 professionals expect to remain in the industry for the next five years, and 86% think their current job in automation will help them with any future career moves.

Finally, 60% of participants in the survey said their organisation has been using software automation for at least five years. Automation is being adopted across multiple departments, including finance (67%), IT (53%), and operations (51%).

UiPath’s State of the Automation Professional Report 2024 can be downloaded here.

Image credit: iStock.com/PeopleImages