Chatbots, RPA and AI agents are often described as if they were the same thing. They are not, and choosing the wrong one is a common reason automation projects disappoint. Here is how they differ, and how to decide.
What each one actually does
| What it does | Handles messy input? | When things change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatbot | Answers questions in conversation | Yes, in text | Only talks; it does not do the work |
| RPA | Repeats fixed clicks and keystrokes across screens | No. It needs input in the same shape every time | Often breaks |
| AI agent | Reads varied input, decides the next step within limits you set, and acts in your tools or hands over to a person | Yes: emails, documents, free text | Copes with variation, but its work needs review |
A quick way to decide
Ask these four questions about the process, in this order:
- Does the input always arrive in exactly the same shape, such as a spreadsheet with fixed columns? If so, RPA or a simple script may be enough, and it will be cheaper to run.
- Is the job only to answer questions from people? Then you need a chatbot or a knowledge assistant, not a workflow tool.
- Do the inputs vary, such as emails, PDFs and free text, and does someone use judgement inside rules they could explain? That is the territory of an AI agent.
- Can a person catch a mistake before it matters? If not, keep a person approving the result, or choose a simpler automation whose behaviour is fully predictable.
Where people go wrong
- Buying a chatbot to fix a problem that is really about how work moves between people.
- Using RPA on inputs that change every week, then spending more time repairing it than it saves.
- Giving an agent authority to act before anyone has seen how it behaves.
Where Ganvix fits
Ganvix builds agents for processes with variety in the input, inside the tools you already use, with your team approving results first. If your process does not need an agent, we will say so.
See the kinds of work an agent can take on.Where we help