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Rule-based automation
Rule-based automation carries out a task using a fixed set of manually written if-then instructions, with no learning from data involved.
What matters
Because every rule is written by a person, behavior is fully predictable and easy to audit, but the system only handles cases its author anticipated. Anything outside those rules fails or falls through to a default.
Example
An email client that moves any message containing the word 'invoice' into a Bills folder is applying a rule a person wrote, not a pattern it learned.
Common misconception
Rule-based systems are not a primitive form of AI being replaced; they remain the right choice whenever behavior must be fully predictable and explainable.
Recall question
Why is a rule-based system's behavior easier to audit than a learned model's?
Keywords and related concepts
automationif-then rulesdeterministic logicauditability