Automation In 2024 + What Nick Saraev Got Right (Additional Insights)

Recently, Nick shared some thought-provoking insights about the direction of automation in 2024 and beyond. While he made several excellent points, I wanted to add my perspective and dive deeper into where I see the automation industry heading. Let’s break down what I agree with, where I see things differently, and what additional factors we should consider.

Points of Agreement (With Some Nuance)

AI Agents: From Buzzword to Reality

A year ago, “AI agents” was mostly a buzzword without substance. Now, we’re seeing real capabilities emerge as AI frameworks and models catch up to the hype. While I agree with Nick that AI agents are becoming more integral to automation, I see them augmenting rather than replacing traditional workflows. They’ll excel at handling ambiguous steps where rigid conditional logic falls short, but they won’t be a complete solution on their own.

The Chain Complexity Challenge

Nick hit the nail on the head regarding chained complexity. While connecting different services sounds great in theory, each connection introduces a potential point of failure. When building business-critical automations, we need to be extremely mindful of these dependencies. Each external service adds another possible breaking point, whether from API changes, service outages, or other factors.

Rising Demand for Automation Partners

The automation landscape is becoming more accessible but also more complex. As tools evolve and capabilities expand, businesses need trusted advisors who can:

• Navigate the growing ecosystem of tools
• Implement solutions effectively
• Provide strategic guidance on what’s ready for production
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies

Synthetic Content Evolution

We’re already seeing synthetic content proliferate across platforms, from faceless YouTube channels to AI-generated social media content. While this trend will continue to grow, I don’t believe it will completely replace human creativity. Instead, it will serve as a powerful augmentation tool, helping creators scale their efforts while maintaining their unique voice.

Points of Respectful Disagreement

The Future of Data Scrapers

While Nick suggests data scrapers are declining, I strongly disagree. Data remains a crucial moat for businesses, and programmatic data collection will continue to be valuable. Yes, tools like Claude’s browser capability are making certain types of data access easier, but when you need to process thousands or millions of items, traditional scraping methods still reign supreme. Companies are becoming more protective of their data, making reliable scraping more challenging but also more valuable.

Balancing Technical and Business Skills

I have a different take on the shift in skill valuation. Rather than seeing business skills overshadowing technical skills, I believe the most valuable professionals will be those who can bridge both worlds. I’ve seen both technical people making poor business decisions and business people making misguided technical choices. The ability to understand and balance both aspects is invaluable.

Additional Insights for 2024 and Beyond

The Technical Gap in Current Solutions

Many of today’s automation workflows feel “hacky” by necessity. As custom application development becomes more accessible through tools like Bolt.New, Cursor, and AI assistants, we might see a shift away from chained automations toward more purpose-built solutions. However, this comes with its own challenges.

The Current Limits of AI Code Generation

While AI excels at generating frontend code and basic applications, it still struggles with:

• Marrying frontend and backend systems effectively
• Creating proper data models
• Implementing secure API architectures
• Handling complex business logic

This gap between frontend generation and backend implementation remains a significant hurdle.

Data and Distribution: The Power Couple

Data alone is valuable, but when combined with targeted distribution, it becomes exponentially more powerful. Random distribution is just noise; data-driven, targeted distribution creates real business value. This combination will continue to be a key differentiator in the market.

The Human Element: Creativity

AI models are trained on existing content, making them inherently derivative. True creativity—generating entirely new ideas, business models, and approaches—remains a uniquely human capability. This creative advantage will become increasingly valuable as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent.

The Adoption Challenge

Despite the hype, widespread adoption of advanced automation and AI tools faces several hurdles:

• User education and training needs
• Complex tool selection and integration
• Infrastructure limitations (computing power, chips, etc.)
• The ongoing evolution of capabilities and best practices

Looking Ahead

The automation space is evolving at breakneck speed. What we build today might need rebuilding in three months, and that’s okay. We’re all learning and adapting as new tools and capabilities emerge. Remember: this is the worst AI will ever be. Tomorrow’s capabilities will exceed our current expectations, but the path there won’t be linear.

A Call for Continued Dialogue

I appreciate Nick starting this conversation about the future of automation. These discussions help us all better understand where we are and where we’re heading. The landscape is complex and constantly evolving, making diverse perspectives invaluable.

Want to join the conversation? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Whether you agree, disagree, or have additional insights to share, reach out to me at hunter@gettingautomated.com or connect with me on YouTube (@HunterASneed).

Remember: today’s automation challenges are tomorrow’s opportunities. Let’s keep building, learning, and sharing our insights as we navigate this exciting frontier together.