Individual AI capabilities are building blocks. Orchestration assembles them into functional systems. Without orchestration, AI tools remain isolated features rather than integrated workflows.

What Orchestration Manages

Orchestration handles model selection (choosing the right AI for each task), sequencing (ordering steps correctly), data flow (passing outputs between components), error handling (managing failures gracefully), and quality control (ensuring outputs meet standards).

Orchestration vs Multi-Agent

Multi-agent orchestration specifically coordinates AI agents. AI orchestration is broader: it includes agent coordination but also model routing, tool integration, workflow management, and non-agent automation. Multi-agent is a subset of orchestration.

Why Orchestration Matters

Complex tasks require multiple AI capabilities working together. Content creation might need research, writing, SEO, and image generation. Orchestration ensures these work as a system rather than disconnected tools requiring manual coordination.