Autonomous systems are on the frontiers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research, and they are slowly finding their business applications. Driven mostly by Reinforcement Learning (RL) methods (one of the most difficult, but also the most promising modern AI algorithms), autonomous systems help create self-learning and self-optimising systems, ranging from simple game-playing agents to robots able to efficiently act in completely new environments. Based on in-depth study of more than 100 projects, Andrzej Wodecki explores RL as a key component of modern digital technologies, its real-life applications to activities in a value chain and the ways in which it impacts different industries.