An apparatus for optimizing workflows of one or more microscopes and/or microscope systems includes one or more processors and one or more computer-readable storage media. The one or more computer-readable storage media have stored therein computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors cause execution of the following steps: implementing, by one or more components of the one or more microscopes and/or microscope systems, a workflow comprising a capture of first data; applying one or more trained models to the captured first data; and making at least one decision in relation to the workflow based on the application of the one or more trained models to the captured first data.