Slack Rolls Out Generative AI Search and Summarization

Slack announced successful September 2023 its intent to adhd generative AI features, and contiguous the messaging exertion institution rolled retired its AI assistance. Slack’s caller generative AI features are designed to summation workers’ productivity by consolidating messages and astute searches (Figure A). For IT and cybersecurity professionals, Slack summaries tin connection speedy looks astatine incidental reports oregon tickets earlier workers dive into idiosyncratic incidents.

Figure A

AI-powered hunt successful Slack. Image: Slack

Plus, Slack announced personalized transmission summarization crossed aggregate channels and Salesforce Einstein Copilot integration are coming soon. Summarization digests and Einstein Copilot integration for Salesforce CRM could summation productivity by redeeming clip and automatically organizing information, Slack suggests.

Slack AI summarizes messages, adds flexibility to searches and more

Slack’s 3 AI features disposable starting Feb. 14 are:

• Thread summaries, which shorten agelong conversations and see links backmost to the archetypal speech (Figure B). You tin entree thread summaries by clicking the prima icon astatine the apical close wrong the thread.
• Channel recaps, which make highlights from multiple, selected channels successful a selected day scope and summarize them. These are particularly utile for erstwhile an worker has been away, Slack noted.
• AI-powered search, which lets users inquire earthy connection questions astir Slack conversations. “Search utilizing Slack AI” volition look successful the Search bar, oregon volition activate automatically erstwhile you benignant a question into the Search bar.

Figure B

Slack AI tin summarize important points from conversations. Image: Slack

The AI features tally connected a proprietary ample connection exemplary housed wrong Slack. Customer information is siloed and not utilized to bid different models.

“We’re each looking to thrust ROI for our organizations,” Slack Vice President of Product Jackie Rocca told TechRepublic successful a telephone interview. “These features tin prevention you time, from transmission summaries to search, but they besides tin amended equip you to marque lawsuit and concern decisions. You don’t person to walk truthful overmuch clip being a integer detective trying to enactment the pieces together. You tin conscionable inquire a question successful existent time, leverage each the cognition successful your organization, and hole amended for immoderate enactment is thrown your way.”

In addition, Slack announced AI-powered apps from Notion and different members of Slack’s spouse ecosystem. These apps are successful the Slack App Directory.

How tin I get Slack AI?

Slack AI is simply a paid add-on to the Enterprise Grid subscription; organizations volition request to interaction their Slack income representatives to get an nonstop price. Slack expects much pricing accusation to beryllium disposable erstwhile the AI features rotation retired to non-Enterprise Grid plans successful the future.

Slack AI is disposable successful U.S. and UK English only. Slack plans to grow Slack AI to languages different than English astatine an unspecified date.

SEE: NIST established the U.S. AI Safety Consortium successful February to make standards astir AI safety. (TechRepublic)

Upcoming AI features successful Slack

Slack didn’t specify erstwhile much AI features mightiness rotation out, but plans for personalized digests with summaries of channels an worker whitethorn not actively travel but wants to support an oculus connected and much AI-powered app integrations from Slack’s spouse ecosystem are successful the works. The digest diagnostic volition be

Among those AI-powered app integrations volition beryllium Einstein Copilot, the generative AI adjunct for Salesforce CRM. Einstein Copilot successful Slack volition beryllium capable to reply questions successful Slack based connected lawsuit information securely shared with Salesforce CRM.

“Customers person recovered unsocial customized usage cases conscionable for their organizations,” said Rocca. “We truly privation to supply that unfastened level where, whether you physique thing in-house oregon whether it’s thing that you’re partnering (with). Perplexity AI is coming onto Slack; Box has their AI solutions coming into Slack. So immoderate tools that you’re using, we privation Slack to beryllium casual to entree (and) the bid halfway of each of your AI tools.”

Competitors to Slack with AI features

There are galore competitors to Slack, including Microsoft Teams, Google’s Chat, ClickUp, Rocket.Chat and Mattermost. Here’s a little look astatine the AI features offered by these Slack alternatives.

• Microsoft 365 Copilot’s subscription includes generative AI features for Teams, specified arsenic gathering summaries and suggested follow-up tasks. Some of these Microsoft 365 AI features whitethorn beryllium circumstantial to definite subscriptions, similar Teams Premium oregon Copilot for Sales and Service.
• Google’s Gemini tin integrate with Google Chat (depending connected the user’s relationship type), providing message summarization and earthy connection queries.
• ClickUp offers AI summarization and generative features specified arsenic changing the code of messages oregon generating enactment items.
• Rocket.Chat, an unfastened root chat level focused connected security, does not connection built-in AI features but tin entree ChatGPT done app integration.
• Mattermost, which is astir suitable for method and operations teams successful highly-secured industries, does not connection built-in AI features but tin entree GPT-4 oregon section ample connection models done an AI sandbox.