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Interaction design/HCI seems to be at a crossroad. On the one hand, it is still about designing for engaging user experiences (UX). Still, on the other hand, it seems to be increasingly about reducing interaction and automating human-machine interaction through AI. In this paper, we explore this seeming gap to move forward. First, we discuss the fundamental design rationality underpinning UX/engaging interaction and AI/automation of interaction from the viewpoints of classic theoretical standpoints. We then illustrate how these two come together in interaction design practice. Here we rely on two classic examples, i.e., an autonomous car and a social media platform. Through an interaction analysis of these two examples, we show 1) how interaction and automation are combined in the design, 2) how engaging interaction is dependent on a certain level of automation, and 3) how each example illustrates a different balance between interaction and automation. Based on this analysis, we propose the Engaging Interaction through Automation (EIA) - scale as a conceptual construct that takes these aspects into account to understand and analyze ways of combining interaction and automation in interaction design. We illustrate the use of the proposed EIA-scale, discuss its theoretical implications, and suggest it as a useful tool - when designing for engaging user experiences (UX) through automation, with AI as an interaction design material.