What is AI automation?

Handing over work that is mechanical or repetitive to a system, where some of the steps need reading, writing or judgement that older automation could not do. The distinction that matters is between hands and judgement: copying, retyping, looking things up, chasing and drafting are hands, and that is the target. Deciding whether to take a job or how to price something unusual is judgement, and it should get back the hours the first list was consuming.