Five ways AI is automating routine tasks

In 2025, businesses in Nigeria and beyond are finding ways to simplify and automate routine tasks faster and more efficiently. According to recent reports from global research firms, 78 per cent of companies now use AI in some part of their operations.

Around 72 per cent have introduced AI for at least one function, and nearly half, 47 per cent are using AI-powered automation to handle routine processes. Interestingly, 31 per cent of businesses have completely automated at least one area of their operations.

Primarily, these companies are cutting costs, reducing manual labour, and speeding up daily work. These are happening across different sectors of the economy. From real estate and marketing to software development, this disruptive technology is making it easier for them to complete time-consuming tasks with greater accuracy and less effort.
Engineer Nabarum Mondal explained how his company in India is applying AI to improve how real estate listings are managed.

He said developers are often required to upload legal documents to the RERA website and then repeat the process by listing the same properties on their own websites. “All the time, it’s the same task repeated again and again,” he stated on Quora.
To solve this, Mondal’s team built a system using a combination of web scrapers and generative AI. “We’ve now completely automated the job of uploading property listings,” he said. “This removes the need for a person to do it manually. It saves time and money.”

Chief Executive Officer Blake Senftner of Midcom Project pointed out a different issue with how AI is currently used in the workplace. He said that switching between work tools and AI platforms can be distracting for employees.
“The process of going to the AI software, typing your question, adjusting the wording, checking for errors in the response, and then copying it back to your document is enough to break a person’s focus,” he said. “Once your focus is broken, it takes time to get it back.”

To fix this, Senftner and his team are developing AI agents that live inside the same tools workers already use, such as word processors, spreadsheets, and project management platforms. These AI helpers quietly follow along as employees work and can be asked questions without switching between tabs or apps.
“It’s like having a colleague with a PhD in your field sitting next to you, ready to help,” he said. “They may not fully know how your company works yet, but they’re smart and extremely useful.”

Full-stack developer Karthik Shanmugam believes that while AI is powerful, it still has limitations.
“AI is supposed to be able to do anything a human can,” he said. “But in reality, we’re not there yet. Today’s AI systems are expert tools; they’re very good at one specific thing, often even better than humans. But they don’t have the general intelligence humans have.”

He explained that AI can recognise faces, understand speech, and make basic decisions, but we are still far from developing artificial general intelligence.
Actress and tech entrepreneur Debra Reyes shared how AI is making a difference in marketing.
She described a marketing automation platform that combines sales and marketing into one team. “This platform helps attract, segment, and nurture customers, from first contact to loyal supporter,” she said.

“Every step is tracked, so you know exactly what’s working. It’s no longer about sending random emails and hoping for the best. It’s about engaging customers in a smart and effective way.”
According to her, the platform uses behavioural data and built-in intelligence to guide each customer’s journey, helping businesses improve results without wasting effort.
Software developer Dennis Yang offered a simple way to understand how automation works in different stages.

He explained that businesses often start with everything done manually. Then, they introduce some automation to help with certain tasks. As they progress, automation can handle more and more of the work until it eventually takes over most operations with little need for human input.

He said that one good example is GPS navigation. It tracks your location, gives directions, and adjusts based on traffic, all with little involvement from the user. On the other hand, fully self-driving vehicles represent a more advanced stage of automation, where AI takes over almost everything.

Yang said that the best results come when AI is used in systems that can adjust to real-world situations in real time, handling both decisions and actions on their own.
According to experts, the main reason businesses are turning to AI is because it delivers real benefits. Automated systems don’t get tired, don’t take breaks, and can work around the clock.

They also make fewer errors and can scale up when demand increases.