Slack adding generative AI to interact with colleagues, so you don't have to
Slack GPT and Einstein GPT for Salesforce users currently under development
Slack previewed generative AI tools on Thursday, aimed at helping boost worker productivity by automatically summarizing text in channels users might miss, or even drafting messages of a specific tone or length.
The fresh features are currently under development and bundled under the banner Slack GPT. Customers will be able to use large language models like Anthropic's Claude as well as OpenAI's GPT to instruct the chatbots to perform other tasks, like search or answering questions.
Slack is also working on Workflow Builder – a no-code automation tool that will enable users to add generative prompts to automatically perform tasks for them, like setting up alerts or writing and sharing documents.
Many organizations have been wary about letting employees use generative AI tools in case they leak trade secrets or private information. One employee from Samsung, for example, admitted to copying and pasting buggy source code from the company's semiconductor database download program in the hopes that ChatGPT might offer a fix. Slack promises, however, that text processed or generated by Slack GPT will not be used to train language models.
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"We're now at an inflection point, where new generative AI technology has the potential to unlock the exponential productivity gains that organizations are looking for. However, while people who use AI are 90 per cent more likely to report higher levels of productivity, only 27 per cent of companies are currently using AI tools, according to our latest State of Work research," Slack explained in a statement.
Other tools, like its forthcoming Einstein GPT app, are aimed at supporting existing Salesforce services in its CRM software. Users of Salesforce Customer 360 data and Data Cloud – like customer service agents, sales reps, or marketers – can access language models to generate leads, write emails, schedule meetings, or draft plans. Einstein GPT will also be able to handle code, so developers can ask chatbots to write short programs or fix bugs.
It's not clear when Slack GPT or Einstein GPT will be generally available. Integration with Anthropic's Claude, however, is available now, whilst integration with ChatGPT is currently in beta. Workflow Builder is scheduled to be released in summer this year. ®
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