Salesforce Announces Major AI Update, Slackbot Gets New Capabilities

Staff Report: PNN
Cloud-based software company Salesforce announced a major update to its popular workplace communication platform Slack as part of its AI-centric business strategy. CEO Marc Benioff unveiled the new AI features in San Francisco.

The update enhances Slackbot with nearly 30 new features, rolled out gradually. Earlier in January, Slackbot could automatically draft emails, schedule meetings, and extract information from inboxes.

A key addition is “Reusable AI Skills,” allowing users to create custom instructions for specific tasks, reusable in various scenarios. Existing pre-built skills remain, but users can now design new ones as needed. For example, a user can command Slackbot to collect information, draft a budget plan, and schedule meetings automatically.

The new Slackbot supports Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling integration with external apps and services, automating business processes. It can summarize meetings and provide action items. Users also retain control over data privacy.

Salesforce aims to transform Slack from a communication tool into a comprehensive business operations platform. Approximately 1 million businesses currently use Slack, with revenue growing significantly over the past years. Analysts expect the new AI features to further improve workplace efficiency and speed.