Salesforce, the popular customer relationship management platform, is introducing generative AI capabilities for Slack, its business-focused messaging app. These new features, collectively known as Slack AI, were announced at World Tour NYC earlier this year and will be piloted this winter.
One of the key abilities of Slack AI is the instant generation of channel highlights. This feature allows users to quickly identify the most important parts of conversations, which can be used for reports or catching up on missed discussions. The highlights are generated by the AI, making it easy for users to extract the essential information without having to read through the entire conversation.
In addition to generating highlights, Slack AI can also generate summaries for threads with just one click. This feature is particularly useful for users who want to get a quick overview of specific conversations without reading the entire channel. The AI-generated summaries not only provide highlights but also include lists of next steps based on concerns, comments, and suggestions made by participants in the conversation.
Slack AI goes beyond summarizing conversations and highlights. It can also provide elaborate answers when users search for information on the platform. Currently, searching on Slack only retrieves messages, files, and channels related to the keyword. With Slack AI, users can get all this information packaged in a summary, making it easier to find the specific information they are looking for.
Salesforce’s announcement of Slack AI comes on the heels of a recent redesign of the messaging app. The new interface aims to help users focus by removing clutter that may be distracting. The redesigned sidebar collapses all workspaces into a single tile and adds buttons for Home, DMs, Activity, Search, and Create. A dedicated DM tab allows users to view their private chats and preview the most recent message without opening the conversation. Users can also choose to only see unread messages to further declutter their interface.
More details about Slack AI and other new products are expected to be revealed at Salesforce’s upcoming Dreamforce event. The event will take place from September 12 to September 14 and will be available for streaming on Salesforce+.
Overall, Slack AI brings powerful generative AI capabilities to the platform, making it easier for users to extract important information, summarize conversations, and find specific information through improved search capabilities. With the integration of Slack AI into the platform, Salesforce is further enhancing the productivity and efficiency of its messaging app.