Slack aims to bring together knowledge, data, agents, applications and automation in a work platform with new innovations. It uses AI and CRM data to enable teams to collaborate more efficiently.

The new Slack features announced at Dreamforce are designed to support teams through so-called agents. The latter work with both internal and external AI. One of the most important additions is Agentforce, formerly known as Einstein Copilot. This AI solution enables teams to communicate with customer data from Salesforce’s CRM system through a user-friendly interface in Slack.

For example, Agentforce can answer questions, provide status updates, and even create emails and action plans based on CRM data. This helps teams make decisions faster and complete projects more efficiently.

In addition to the internal AI solution, companies can also use external AI agents from partners such as Adobe, Anthropic and Cohere. These agents are available in the Slack Marketplace and help with specific tasks, such as analyzing data, creating content or generating reports. One example is Adobe Express, which allows users to quickly create content such as presentations or social media posts.

Salesforce channels connect CRM and Slack

Another important new feature is the introduction of dedicated Salesforce channels in Slack. These channels connect CRM records, such as customer records and opportunities, directly to Slack conversations. This allows teams to collaborate on a customer file within a channel without having to switch between different systems.

What’s particularly useful is that users can edit CRM data directly in Slack. This means you no longer have to manually maintain information in different systems.

The integration between Slack and Salesforce will get even tighter in the future. In the coming months, Salesforce channels will be available within the Salesforce interface itself. This means that users no longer have to switch between applications to collaborate on customer projects. This is especially useful for service agents, for example, who can communicate with product experts in Slack in the same window while working on customer cases.

AI and automation improve productivity

To further support teams, Slack has added new AI functionality. For example, Slack AI allows users to automatically create summaries of conversations in channels and instantly automate workflows based on simple text prompts.

Another new feature is the ability to use AI to capture notes and action points from huddles – short informal meetings. These notes are then available to everyone in the channel, so team members are always up to date, even if they miss the meeting.

The search functionality within Slack is also being enhanced with AI. Users can search not only messages but also shared files, notes, and documents from external apps like Google Drive and Microsoft 365, so teams can quickly find the information they need to get their work done.

Finally, Slack is introducing new pre-built templates for different departments and tasks. These templates include pre-configured channels, workflows, and lists that standardize work and allow teams to get started faster. Whether it’s project management, marketing campaigns, or customer support, Slack offers templates specifically tailored to the needs of different teams and industries.