Automation and AI often get lumped together

Picture of Kevin Burke Kevin Burke : May 23, '25

Automation and AI often get lumped together—but they’re not the same.
And mistaking one for the other can quietly limit your growth.

Automation follows rules.
“If this happens, do that.”
It’s perfect for repetitive tasks.

AI makes decisions.
It understands context, reasons through options, and improves over time.

Examples:
* An email that sends every Tuesday at 3PM? That’s automation.
* A system that tracks engagement and adapts timing and message based on behavior? That’s intelligence.

Automation does more.
Intelligence creates greater impact.

Doing things faster isn’t enough anymore.
The real opportunity lies in systems that think, not just do.