AI employee FAQ

What is an AI employee?

An AI employee is a scoped AI agent that performs one defined job inside a business's existing tools. It's not a chatbot that answers questions, and not a generic automation tool. It's built around a specific role, works inside the systems the business already uses, and hands back to a person when something falls outside what it's been built to handle. See what is an AI employee for the full definition.

How is an AI employee different from a chatbot?

A chatbot answers a question in a conversation. An AI employee does the underlying work the conversation would otherwise lead to: reading an inbox and drafting replies, matching transactions, updating a CRM, inside your actual tools, without needing someone to prompt it each time. See what is an AI employee for a full comparison against chatbots and simple automations.

Is this the same as a no-code automation tool like Zapier?

No. A no-code tool connects triggers to actions you configure yourself, and it needs someone maintaining it. An AI employee is built, deployed and run by Replican for a specific role, with judgement built into how it handles cases that don't fit the rule exactly. Both have their place. See managed AI vs DIY no-code for when each fits better.

What jobs can actually be automated this way?

Repetitive work with a stable, describable pattern: inbox triage, bookkeeping admin, lead qualification, content production, appointment scheduling, and similar roles. Work that changes every time, or where a judgement call is the entire job, generally doesn't fit. See what jobs can you automate with AI for a scored test you can apply to your own situation.

Does Replican only build the roles listed on the site?

No. The published roles (SEO, lead generation, PPC, bookkeeping, inbox admin, customer support, content and operations) are examples of what's buildable, not a fixed product list. If your job isn't on that list, it's still worth describing in a brief. See browse the roles we build for the current catalogue.

How does the build process actually work?

Four stages, in order: map the repetitive work and where a person needs to stay in control, build the agent against your real tools and rules, deploy it on a private server you own, then run it on an ongoing basis: monitoring, tuning and extending it. See how an AI employee is built for the full process.

How long does a build take?

This varies by job, and Replican doesn't publish a fixed timeline because promising a duration before mapping the work would be a guess. The shape of the process (map, build, deploy, run) is described on how an AI employee is built; the actual schedule for your job gets discussed once the work is mapped.

Can an AI employee work with the tools I already use?

That's the intention, not an exception. AI employees are built to work inside the tools a business already runs: Gmail or Outlook, Xero, Sage or QuickBooks, a CRM like HubSpot or Pipedrive, spreadsheets, WhatsApp, Slack. The build stage connects the agent to your real systems rather than asking you to move to a new platform.

What happens when the agent hits something it doesn't know how to handle?

It escalates to a person rather than guessing. Every AI employee Replican builds has an explicit escalation boundary set during mapping: it hands back when a rule doesn't cover the situation, when money or a relationship is material, when a judgement call belongs to a person, or when its own confidence is low. See what stays human for the four triggers in detail.

What happens if the agent gets something wrong?

Mistakes are logged and reviewed, and the escalation boundary is there specifically to limit how much damage a wrong call can do before a person catches it. A named person at your business remains accountable for the outcome, always. The agent reduces the volume of work; it doesn't remove who's answerable for it.

Will Replican tell me if my idea isn't worth automating?

Yes, and it happens regularly. If a job doesn't have a stable pattern, if the judgement is the whole job, or if it's too small to justify building around, mapping ends with a straight "not this one" rather than a build that shouldn't happen. See what we won't automate for the categories of work this applies to.

Where does my data live?

On a private server set up for your business alone, not a shared platform pooling data across Replican's clients. See infrastructure you own for what that server is and who controls it.

Who owns the server the agent runs on?

You do. Access credentials are set up in your name and you retain administrative control throughout. Replican manages the technical upkeep (patching, monitoring, deployment), but the server belongs to your business, not to Replican.

What happens to the server and my data if I stop working with Replican?

You keep both. The server, its configuration, its history and its data don't disappear because the relationship with Replican ends. The server was never Replican's to begin with. Full detail is on infrastructure you own.

Does this comply with GDPR?

Owning your own infrastructure simplifies part of the GDPR picture, since your data isn't pooled inside a third-party vendor's shared platform, but it doesn't remove your obligations as a data controller. You still need a lawful basis for processing and your own records of what personal data the agent touches. See GDPR and AI for Irish businesses for what actually applies.

Does the EU AI Act affect a small business using this?

For most small businesses, yes, but as a "deployer" rather than a "provider", which carries lighter obligations than building the underlying AI system yourself. See EU AI Act for small business for what actually applies and what doesn't.

Does Replican have case studies or client references I can see?

No, and the reason is stated plainly rather than glossed over: no client has agreed to be named, so there are no logos, testimonials or attributed results on this site. What you can see instead is Replican's own accounting system, built and run in-house on the same model it sells, and a description of live deployments in generic terms. See about Replican for the full explanation.

Does Replican work outside Ireland?

Yes. Delivery is remote, and nothing about how an agent is built or managed depends on where your business sits. Ireland and the UK are where most of the work is, because that's where the VAT rules, the accounting software, the grant supports and the working hours are ones we already know, which means less explaining and fewer assumptions. If you're outside those markets and the job is a good fit, say so in your brief rather than assuming the answer is no.

What does "Replican runs it" actually mean day to day?

It means the agency doesn't stop being involved once the agent goes live. Replican monitors how it's performing, adjusts the rules as edge cases turn up, and extends its scope if the job grows: the same ongoing relationship you'd expect from a role filled by a person, rather than a one-off software delivery.

How do I get started?

Send a brief describing the job you'd want handled (what it is, how often it happens, and which tools it lives in) through the brief builder, or email hello@replican.ie directly. See contact Replican for what to include so the first reply is useful.

How much does an AI employee cost?

That depends entirely on the job: its scope, the tools involved, and how much ongoing management it needs. Replican doesn't publish a fixed price or a starting rate on this site. The way to find out is to send a brief describing the work; the reply will address cost directly for your specific situation rather than quoting a generic figure that wouldn't be accurate anyway.

Is there a minimum contract length or a lock-in?

Pricing and commitment terms aren't published here for the same reason cost isn't: they depend on the job. What's stated plainly instead is the ownership model: because the server is yours, you're never locked into Replican by threat of losing your data or configuration if you decide to stop. See infrastructure you own for how that works.

Is an AI employee actually worth it compared to hiring or a subscription tool?

Often not, depending on the job, which is exactly why Replican publishes an honest framework rather than a blanket "yes". See is an AI employee worth it for the questions that determine the answer for your specific situation: volume, how stable the rules are, the cost of a mistake, and how often the work recurs.

If your question isn't answered here, send a brief or email hello@replican.ie. A straight answer is one message away either way.