Automaton
n.Origin
From Greek automatos, "acting by itself". In the AC ecosystem, refers specifically to Python scripts (ac_*.py) that execute repeatable processes without creative decision-making.
Definition
An Automaton is a Python script prefixed ac_*.py tasked with executing a sequence of repeatable, logged actions recorded in the database (ps_ac_automates). Unlike an Agent that thinks and decides, the Automate has no judgement: it executes. Any multi-step process repeated twice by an Agent without a dedicated Automaton is a missing architecture signal. A well-designed Automate uses AutomateLog, is registered in DB with its kind (recurring/oneshot/lib/meta/tool) and tolerates no raw SQL — it goes through ac_entities/.
Example
"If Atlas performs the same sequence manually two sessions in a row, it means an Automaton is missing — we create it immediately, not in the backlog."