Yes—often, but “better” is subjective. A RAW file usually contains more tonal information than the in-camera JPEG, so software can sometimes recover a bit more highlight detail and open shadows before exporting a JPEG. In apps like Lightroom or Aperture, you can save develop presets and even apply them automatically on import, so it can be close to a one-click workflow.

Typical automatic improvements include highlight recovery and shadow/fill adjustments. These can make a JPEG look punchier or reveal more detail, though pushing shadows too far may add noise. The gain is usually modest rather than dramatic.

Tone mapping or single-image HDR can also be applied automatically from one RAW file, but that creates a stylized look that many people don’t always consider “better.” It’s more a creative effect than a universally improved JPEG.

Also, many cameras already do similar processing in-camera with features like dynamic-range optimization, adaptive lighting, or auto-lighting controls.

So: RAW is useful for both quick automated enhancement and manual editing. A preset can produce consistently improved JPEGs in some situations, but the best results still usually come from image-by-image adjustments.