What is robotic process automation (RPA)?

Robotic automation isn't a new concept. In the 1936 movie Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin was already using it to make a commentary on post-Great Depression industrialization.

To improve productivity in the factory where Chaplin's labor is being exploited, a manager plucks him from the assembly line to test a robotic feeding machine. They strap Chaplin to a rotating table that automatically crams a bowl of soup, bites of bread, and a rotating ear of corn in his face. As anyone who's ever seen a Charlie Chaplin movie could predict, the machine malfunctions and slams a pie in his face, then repeatedly batters him with a sponge designed to clean his very tiny mustache.

Today, robotic process automation is conceptually more or less the same as Chaplin's vision—just with (usually) less pie. 

What is robotic process automation (RPA)?

Robotic process automation is an optimization method that uses virtual bots to execute repetitive tasks that humans would otherwise handle. RPA helps businesses and organizations streamline their processes by allowing people to hand off menial tasks to software, freeing them to spend more time on higher-value work. It's becoming more and more popular as part of the digital transformation of the workplace.