A history of workflows

Workflows, the backbone of organizational operations, have evolved significantly from manual, human-led processes to sophisticated AI-driven systems. Initially reliant on human intuition and standard operating procedures, workflows transitioned during the 2000s to deterministic systems enabled by the rise of the internet, APIs, and automation tools like Robotic Process Automation (RPA). These systems provided speed, consistency, and scalability but struggled with flexibility and ambiguity. The current era, beginning in the 2020s, features AI-powered "agentic" workflows that leverage foundation models and natural language interfaces to enable reasoning and autonomous actions while maintaining the crucial role of human oversight. This evolution has been characterized by the integration of past methodologies with new technological innovations, resulting in workflows that intelligently combine human judgment, deterministic reliability, and AI adaptability.