The excitement around AI-driven Agentic Automation doesn’t negate the power of foundational RPA. As articulated by UiPath, the future of automation is not an “either/or” scenario but a sophisticated “both/and” integration. For women building long-term, resilient careers in RPA, understanding how to seamlessly blend traditional User Interface (UI) automation with advanced AI is non-negotiable.

The combined approach creates the most powerful solutions:

1. AI Needs UI: Generative AI agents need reliable methods to interact with legacy systems and external applications. UI automation remains the most robust, non-invasive way to execute the decisions made by an AI agent.

2. UI Needs AI: Traditional bots benefit from AI components (like Document Understanding or Gen AI decision-making) to handle unstructured data and dynamic process changes, elevating their utility beyond simple screen scraping.

3. The Resilient Enterprise: The combination ensures that automation is both smart (via AI) and durable (via UI access to systems).

This requires “T-shaped” skills—deep expertise in both the mechanics of UI automation and the strategic application of AI/ML. WIRPA champions Education to ensure our members are fully cross-skilled, moving beyond tool proficiency to strategic solution architecture. The future belongs to those who can connect the dots between the legacy and the cutting edge.

Are you a “both/and” architect? The market demands proficiency in the integrated automation blueprint. Join WIRPA’s next skill-building session to master the architecture that unites AI and UI for maximum enterprise impact.

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