I use a MacBook Pro. I notice that one of the applications that is on my computer is AUTOMATOR. I would like to know if this is a necessary App for operating the Mac OS or if it is malware.

It’s part of the OS, but not a component which needs to be used.

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Applications installed by the operating system are not malware, but the introduction of malware into your Mac can be relatively simple depending what you click on some websites, or applications that you may download from unsecure sites (e.g. download aggregation/torrent sites), and then do install using admin privileges.

There is a free to use, and optional subscription malware checking package named Malwarebytes that many of us use and recommend for periodic checks. It is not an anti-virus tool, and if it detects malware, it will let you know, and offer to remove it. None of us are compensated by the vendor for recommending the product here.

Automator User Guide