What distinguishes Agentic Automation from RPA?

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) executes strictly defined rules and click sequences: the robot does exactly what was modeled beforehand and breaks as soon as reality deviates from it. Agentic Automation instead sets a goal and leaves the path to the agent – it selects tools, reacts to unexpected states, and re-plans. The difference is therefore not the degree of automation but whether the sequence is prescribed or decided at runtime.

Why does this matter?

RPA typically fails on exceptions – and in most processes that is exactly where the greatest effort sits. Agentic approaches cover this exception space, but demand new control mechanisms in return: whoever does not prescribe the path must be able to review it afterwards.