Slack is currently testing a major upgrade to transform Slackbot from a simple reminders tool into a full-fledged AI-powered smart assistant.
This update gives Slackbot the ability to create customized plans, collect information from conversations and files, and perform more accurate and smooth searches within the workspace.
Rob Seamen, Slack product manager at Salesforce, confirms that the company has completely rebuilt Slackbot into a “personal intelligent companion” rather than a limited-functional tool.
The new assistant appears in the form of an icon next to the search bar, which opens a panel that allows the user to ask direct questions such as “What are my priorities today?” Or “Get the latest project updates.”
The update also adds a natural language search feature, so that the user can request information in a daily format, such as “Give the document that was shared in the last meeting” or “View the latest version of the roadmap.” Slackbot also integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar to easily coordinate appointments.
Slack continues to support previous AI tools like content summarization and terminology simplification, while maintaining legacy Slackbot functionality like custom commands and reminders.
The new AI features work within the AWS private cloud, with Slack ensuring that the data never leaves the firewall and is not used to train any models.
The new assistant is undergoing internal testing with 70,000 Salesforce employees, and the experience will be expanded to specific customers before the wide launch by the end of the year.
