How many different monikers does it have? Could you make the terminology any more confusing? We may also want to steer clear of the technical description—which might sound something like: “It is a cognitive autonomic, data-analytic, neurally-heuristic knowledge engine.” While it may not sound like something you need, chances are it is going to change the way you do business in ways even the pundits are still figuring out.

It is a common problem among CxOs—there is game-changing technology out there, camouflaged by overly complicated terminology, and no one can explain it in English. Such is the problem when you start a conversation on Robotic Process Automation—one of the hotter topics in today’s business circles. The first question you are likely to get back is “Are we talking about R2-D2 type of robots?” The answer to that question would be “No”.

This paper puts some of the terminology aside for a minute and describes the field of digital labor in general—a capability that encompasses the more commonly used term “Robotic Process Automation” (RPA). We will provide insight as to why digital labor is likely to be important to your business, tone down the hype, and debunk some of the RPA myths along the way.