Salesforce introduces AI productivity updates for Slack

Salesforce has introduced new AI functionalities for Slack, aimed at enhancing team productivity and unifying work processes.

The innovations include integration with Salesforce, bringing company data, agents, and apps into a single work operating system powered by AI.

One of the key updates is the 'Agentforce in Slack' feature, which introduces a new user interface (UI) whereby teams can interact with data, extract insights, and perform tasks within Slack using Salesforce's AI agents. Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack, stated, "We've moved beyond collaboration; every day, millions of teams are leveraging purpose-built AI, with customer data, automation, and now agents seamlessly integrated into the flow of work."

The new updates facilitate a seamless collaboration environment by allowing AI agents and assistants from partners like Adobe, Anthropic, Cohere, and others to operate securely within Slack. This integration aims to streamline workflows by embedding relevant CRM data and conversations directly within Slack channels. This will soon also be integrated within the Salesforce user interface.

Enhanced functionalities such as 'huddle notes' and improved search capabilities constitute part of the new Slack AI features. These tools aim to help teams work more effectively by capturing key summit points and action items during meetings, and providing more comprehensive search results, respectively. New automation features allow users to create workflows effortlessly through simple conversational prompts.

Slack is also rolling out a set of templates designed to enhance productivity across different departments and use cases. These templates provide pre-configured channels, lists, and workflows tailored for specific tasks, reducing the time needed to start new projects and improving workflows. Christine McHone, Tech Industry Leader at Slalom, commented, "The new template solution is a game-changer because it brings together Slack's most powerful features, from channels to workflows, so our teams can get started on work so much faster."

The new features aim to tackle inefficiencies in work environments. According to the release, desk workers reportedly spend 41% of their day on low-value tasks and struggle to find necessary information. The introduction of AI is expected to address these issues by providing more efficient ways of working and integrating customer data into a single platform.

Companies such as RTL, Anaplan, and Snyk have already started leveraging these new tools to improve their productivity. Frank Penning, Chief Information Officer at RTL, expects significant time savings with these features: "We are expecting to save 16,000 hours this year with the ability to catch up on conversations and get daily recaps."

Salesforce's innovative features include new Salesforce channels that bridge CRM data and customer-centric conversations within Slack. This aims to provide teams with a comprehensive space to collaborate on every account and opportunity, aligning more effectively to drive work forward.

Additionally, third-party agents available through the Slack Marketplace will help users perform various tasks more efficiently, such as creating on-brand content with Adobe Express or leveraging Amazon Q Business for question answering and task completion. Saurabh Baji, SVP of Engineering at Cohere, remarked, "Cohere's highly secure AI technology within Slack enables businesses to supercharge productivity and efficiency with their workforce."

The introduction of these new AI functionalities and increased integration is poised to help organisations centralise their work processes, thereby driving productivity and efficiency across various sectors. According to Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst at Metrigy, "Slack's latest AI innovations increase the power of generative AI across notes, chats, files, agents, and apps, creating new potential for innovation and productivity in the AI era."