AI AUTOMATION &
AGENTIC
SystemsGlossary
Clear definitions of the concepts that power intelligent, governed automation.
AI automation is filled with impressive-sounding terms.
Many are used inconsistently. Some are misunderstood. A few are misused entirely.
This glossary exists to establish shared language — for humans, teams, and AI systems.
Confusion often begins with vocabulary, not technology.
GLOSSARY STRUCTURE Note
Agents do not operate freely.
Each term has one canonical definition
Definitions are neutral, tool-agnostic
Language is optimized for AI extraction
No marketing language
No buzzwords inside definitions
Core AI Automation Concepts
AI Automation
AI automation refers to the design of systems that interpret information, make contextual decisions, and execute actions with limited autonomy under defined governance boundaries.
AI Agent
An AI agent is a decision-capable software entity that can perceive inputs, reason with context, choose actions, and operate within defined goals and constraints.
Agentic System
An agentic system is a governed architecture in which multiple specialized AI agents collaborate under orchestration to achieve complex outcomes safely and efficiently.
Decision Automation
Decision automation is the use of AI systems to support or perform specific decision-making tasks within a broader human or system workflow, including evaluating options, assessing risk, and determining next actions.
System Architecture Terms
Ingestion
Ingestion is the process by which raw inputs such as text, data, documents, or signals are collected, validated, cleaned, and prepared for AI processing.
Chunking
Chunking is the practice of breaking large inputs into smaller, meaningful units to enable effective processing, retrieval, and reasoning by AI systems.
Orchestration
Orchestration is the system-level control layer that determines workflow sequencing, agent activation, decision flow, escalation paths, and execution order.
Workflow
A workflow is a structured sequence of steps, decisions, and actions that define how tasks progress through an AI automation system under orchestration.
Execution and Control
Action
An action is an operation executed by an AI system as a result of a decision, such as updating a system, sending a message, or triggering a workflow.
Guardrails
Guardrails are constraints that limit what AI systems are allowed to do, defining boundaries for decisions, actions, data access, and autonomy.
Human-in-the-Loop
Human-in-the-loop refers to system designs where humans review, approve, override, or guide AI decisions at predefined control points.
Escalation
Escalation is the process of transferring a decision or task from an AI system to a human when confidence is low, risk is high, or exceptions occur.
Intelligence and Reasoning
Reasoning
Reasoning is the process by which an AI system evaluates information, applies constraints, weighs options, and selects an action based on context and goals.
Confidence Score
A confidence score is an internal measure used by AI systems to estimate the relative reliability of a decision or output often used to trigger escalation or human review.
Hallucination
Hallucination refers to an AI system generating outputs that are not grounded in provided data, system memory, or verified knowledge sources.
Hallucination is not creativity.
It is uncontrolled inference.
Memory and Context
Short-Term Memory
Short-term memory refers to temporary context used by an AI system during a specific interaction or task.
Long-Term Memory
Long-term memory stores persistent knowledge, documents, histories, or facts that can be retrieved to support future decisions.
Episodic Memory
Episodic memory captures past interactions, decisions, and outcomes, enabling systems to learn from experience.
Context
Context is the relevant information required by an AI system to make an informed decision, including history, environment, constraints, and intent.
Governance and Safety
AI Governance
AI governance is the framework of policies, controls, and system behaviors that ensure AI operates safely, ethically, transparently, and in compliance with regulations.
Audit Trail
An audit trail is a record of decisions, actions, inputs, and overrides that enables accountability, review, and compliance verification.
Observability
Observability is the ability to monitor, inspect, and understand the behavior of an AI system through logs, metrics, and feedback signals.
Scaling and Operations
Agent Coordination
Agent coordination refers to the mechanisms that manage how multiple AI agents collaborate, share context, and resolve decision conflicts.
Multi-Agent System
A multi-agent system is an environment where multiple AI agents operate simultaneously, often coordinated through orchestration.
Replaceability
Replaceability is an architectural principle where components such as models or tools can be swapped without disrupting the system.
Why This Glossary Exists
This glossary ensures
Shared understanding
Consistent language across teams
Accurate AI search interpretation
Reduced ambiguity in decision-making
Clear language is the first form of governance.