Document AI is software that reads documents such as PDFs, scans and photos, works out what type they are, extracts the key details, checks them and sends the result to your systems. It handles clear cases automatically and flags uncertain ones for a person.
What it can do
Typical jobs:
- Sort and route incoming documents
- Extract fields from forms, invoices and delivery notes
- Summarise long documents
- Flag missing or conflicting information
- Pass results to your CRM, ERP or archive
Where it works best
It pays off where the same kinds of documents arrive again and again and someone retypes the details.
Limits to know
Poor scans, handwriting and unusual layouts reduce accuracy. Results should be measured on your real documents, and important fields should have a review step.
How to start
Choose one document type, collect a sample, measure accuracy, then connect it to the next system. Widen only when the numbers are good.
Questions we hear a lot
Is Document AI the same as OCR?
OCR turns an image into text. Document AI goes further: it understands what the document is, finds the fields that matter and checks them.
Is my document data safe?
It depends on the setup. Ask where documents are processed and stored, whether they are used to train models, and who can access them.