Salesforce Launches Overhauled Slackbot AI to Challenge Microsoft and Google
# Salesforce Unveils Revamped Slackbot AI to Compete with Microsoft and Google
## Major Upgrade Transforms Slackbot into a Powerful AI Agent
Salesforce has introduced a significantly overhauled version of Slackbot, the firm’s workplace assistant, on Tuesday. This transformation elevates Slackbot from a basic notification tool to a fully functioning AI agent capable of analyzing enterprise data, composing documents, and executing tasks on behalf of users.
The newly launched Slackbot is now available to Business+ and Enterprise+ customers, marking Salesforce's bold strategy to establish Slack as a key player in the burgeoning "agentic AI" sector, where software agents collaborate with employees to accomplish intricate tasks. This debut comes as Salesforce attempts to reassure investors that AI will enhance its offerings instead of threatening their relevance.
"Slackbot isn't just another copilot or AI assistant," stated Parker Harris, co-founder of Salesforce and Chief Technology Officer of Slack. "It's the front door to the agentic enterprise, powered by Salesforce."
### An Enhanced Slackbot
Harris emphasized the substantial improvements of the new Slackbot, likening the former version to a tricycle and the upgraded one to a Porsche. The original Slackbot, which existed since Slack's inception, executed simple tasks such as reminding users about document collaborations and sending notifications. In contrast, the new version is built on a sophisticated architecture featuring a large language model (LLM) and advanced search capabilities that can access Salesforce records, Google Drive files, calendar information, and extensive Slack conversations.
"It's two different things," explained Harris. "The old Slackbot was algorithmic and fairly simple. The new Slackbot is brand new — it's based around an LLM and a very robust search engine, and connections to third-party search engines and data."
Salesforce decided to maintain the Slackbot branding despite the extensive technical redesign. "People know what Slackbot is, and so we wanted to carry that forward," Harris noted.
### Underpinning Technology
The revamped Slackbot operates on Claude, Anthropic's large language model, chosen partly to meet regulatory compliance. Slack’s commercial service comes with FedRAMP Moderate certification, catering to U.S. federal government clients. According to Harris, Anthropic was "the only provider that could give us a compliant LLM" during the system's development.
However, this exclusivity is expected to evolve. "We are, this year, going to support additional providers," Harris remarked. He indicated a strong relationship with Google and mentioned that performance and cost considerations make Gemini an option for the future. He also acknowledged that OpenAI remains a viable choice.
On the topic of training data, Harris assured that Salesforce does not use customer data to train any models. "Models don't have any sort of security," he detailed. "If we trained it on some confidential conversation, there's no way to ensure that only specific individuals can see the answer."
### Internal Success and User Adoption
Salesforce has tested the upgraded Slackbot internally for months, deploying it to all 80,000 employees. According to Ryan Gavin, Slack’s Chief Marketing Officer, the reception has been remarkable, making it the quickest adopted product in Salesforce's history. Data shows that two-thirds of employees have engaged with the new Slackbot, and 80% of those users continue to utilize it regularly, achieving a 96% satisfaction rate—an all-time high for any of Slack’s AI features. Users report saving between two to 20 hours weekly.
The dramatic uptake occurred largely without prompting. "It was about five days, and a Canvas was developed called 'The Most Stealable Slackbot Prompts,'" Gavin noted. "People just started adding to it organically."
In addition, Kate Crotty, a principal UX researcher at Salesforce, found that 73% of internal usage stemmed from social sharing rather than management directives. "Everybody is there to help each other learn and communicate hacks," she said.
### Powerful Insights Generation
During a product demonstration, Amy Bauer, a product experience designer at Slack, showcased how Slackbot can integrate information from various sources. For instance, she instructed Slackbot to evaluate customer feedback from a pilot initiative, upload a dashboard image, and correlate both qualitative and quantitative data.
"This is where Slackbot really earns its keep for me," Bauer remarked. "What it's doing is not just simply reading the image — it's actually comparing it to the insights it generated for me."
Furthermore, Slackbot can query Salesforce to identify enterprise accounts with open deals suitable for early access, creating actionable plans for follow-up meetings.
Rob Seaman, Slack's Chief Product Officer, highlighted the importance of the Canvas creation feature, indicating a future direction for the product where it incorporates additional third-party tool functionalities.
### Pilot Programs Validate Effectiveness
Among the early adopters is Beast Industries, the parent firm of YouTube sensation MrBeast. Luis Madrigal, the Chief Information Officer, shared his experiences during the launch event. He described their integration process as remarkably straightforward, likening it to an easy installation. His security team approved quickly due to Slackbot's restriction to user-permitted information only.
Madrigal also reported that an employee saved at least 90 minutes daily with Slackbot, while another described it as an attentive assistant. Other pilot customers include Slalom, reMarkable, Xero, and Engine, with Engine’s SVP of Operations, Mollie Bodensteiner, labeling Slackbot as a "chaos tamer."
### Competing in the AI Landscape
The introduction of Slackbot positions Salesforce against Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini within the enterprise AI arena. Seaman pointed out that Slackbot’s unique context and convenience are advantages. "The thing that makes it most powerful for our customers is its proximity — it's just right there in your Slack," he stated.
Salesforce executives assert that Slackbot inherently understands user workflows without needing additional setup or training.
### Future Ambitions and Pricing Challenges
Salesforce envisions Slackbot as a "super agent," capable of coordinating with numerous AI agents within an organization. Harris suggested that every business will soon have such an employee super agent, insisting that Slackbot embodies significant advantages.
The Slackbot service does not incur extra fees for customers on Business+ and Enterprise+ plans. However, some enterprises may experience increased costs in Salesforce's data access fees, which could affect third-party application use.
The new Slackbot rollout began and will reach all eligible customers by the end of February, with mobile functionality expected to be complete by March 3.
Salesforce is betting that the future of work will revolve around conversational interfaces. Harris outlined the company's ethos: design for ease of use and proactive information delivery.
"As an LLM applied to unstructured information, the value it brings is incredible," he commented. Looking ahead, Harris anticipates the emergence of more sophisticated interfaces that best suit user needs.
In a competitive landscape involving Microsoft, Google, and various AI startups, Salesforce is betting heavily that Slackbot will leverage its extensive user base to create a formidable advantage, transforming workplace interactions for millions.
Haley Gault, a Salesforce account executive, encapsulated this shift: "I honestly can't imagine working for another company not having access to these types of tools. This is just how I work now."