Automation vs. agent vs. RAG — and when to use each
Most 'AI agent' projects should've been a simple automation.
The idea
Know the ladder: a fixed automation (n8n/Make) for repeatable steps; RAG — AI that answers from your own docs — when you need lookups; and an agent (AI that decides the steps itself as it goes) only when the path can't be scripted ahead of time. Pick the simplest that solves it.
Do it now
Write down one repetitive task and decide: automation, RAG, or agent?
You should now have: A right-sized approach for one real task.
Guardrail: Default to the simplest tool; a leaky DIY agent is worse than no agent.
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