Robotic process automation is all the rage right now. As technology continues to evolve, digital agents are certainly promising. But before we dig deeper, let us understand what these digital agents are? 

Digital agents are nothing but robots. A piece of software programmed to take over rule-based repetitive tasks is all that defines a robot. But no longer, this definition is enough to define modern digital robots. Combining artificial intelligence and cognitive abilities modern robots are much smarter than robots that we had earlier. 

Today’s modern digital agents are capable of making intelligent decisions as we humans do. So let us explore more about how modern digital agents have evolved, and what are their fundamental characteristics. 

#1. Actionable Intelligence

Actionable intelligence means having the ability to learn and apply knowledge. Modern digital agents exhibit intelligence resonating with human intellect. For instance, a robot can drive actionable outcomes from both structured and unstructured data. Artificial intelligence and cognitive capabilities are the core aspects of modern bots. They also combine concepts of machine learning, data mining, cognitive automation, and computer vision. The combination of these technologies makes up an artificially intelligent system that has its own logic and can handle learning as well as problem-solving. 

#2. Optical Character Recognition

Modern digital agents often integrate advanced OCR capabilities which make it easier for them to extract and process information from documents and images. One of the advanced functionalities of modern robots is screen scraping using which they can capture information from system screens and review it against the stored data to convert it into the precise format. Besides this, modern digital bots are also capable of performing data structuring while reading data from structured documents. This feature comes in handy when extracting data from invoices for tax return purposes. 

#3. Sense

The technology that has enabled robots to develop sensory elements has been benefiting humans for years. Because of it, we have been communicating electronically with so much ease. To make robots process sensory information, electronic communication media such as microphones and cameras are used. This simulation makes digital agents capable of interacting with the external environment. Based on the human sensory system involving touch, vision, smell, taste, and hearing, digital robots are being modified to somehow develop capabilities like human beings. Sound and vision are simulated using media that is transferred to databases and cross-checked against the pre-defined specifications.

Thus, modern digital agents have come a long way. They can interact with other systems, learn from other systems, and can adjust according to changing business needs. In many ways, digital agents are helping organizations to improve their functions and decision-making.