Intelligent automation is automation that uses AI or machine learning to support decisions or workflows. Instead of following only fixed rules, it can classify data, suggest actions, prioritize tasks, or adapt when inputs change. In cyber security, this matters because many security operations depend on fast, repeatable decisions over large volumes of logs, alerts, tickets, and access requests.
Attackers can abuse the same idea by feeding bad data into automated systems, triggering unsafe approvals, or exploiting workflows that trust AI-generated output too much. Defenders use intelligent automation to speed up alert triage, correlate events, enforce access policies, and route incidents for review. The key control is to keep human oversight, strong validation, logging, and least-privilege access around any automated decision so the system improves speed without weakening trust.