Slack is testing a redesigned, AI-infused version of its proprietary chatbot, Slackbot. The new tool is built to assist with workplace tasks through natural language conversation, aiming to enhance productivity on the company’s communication platform.
The updated Slackbot functions as an AI chatbot purpose-built for common work assignments. Users can converse with the bot using natural language to perform functions such as generating project plans, identifying daily priorities, and analyzing reports. The bot is also designed to retrieve information when users can only recall limited details about a topic. According to Slack, the objective is to “give every employee AI superpowers” so they can “drive productivity at AI speed.” This transformation follows nearly a decade of the original Slackbot’s more limited capabilities, which primarily involved delivering reminders and notifications.
Video: Slack
To expand its functionality, the new Slackbot integrates with external tools including Google Drive, Salesforce, and OneDrive. By connecting to these services, the bot can analyze data from the platforms to provide users with “clear insights.” Slack has also stated that the chatbot will continue to evolve. The company’s future plans for the tool include enabling it to “take action on your behalf and build agents at your request, all with no code required,” allowing for more autonomous operations and customized workflows.
During a demonstration observed by The Verge, the AI-powered bot was used to create a social media campaign that adopted a specific brand’s tone. It also organized a detailed launch plan for a new product. The publication noted these capabilities but did not provide an evaluation of the quality or effectiveness of the generated content. The redesigned Slackbot is currently in a beta phase, available to approximately 70,000 users. A broad rollout to all users is planned by the end of the year. While companies will have the option to disable the feature at an organizational level, individual employees will not be able to opt out.
This initiative is part of a broader integration of AI features into the Slack platform by its parent company, Salesforce. Recently, Slack introduced AI writing assistance within its Canvas document-sharing space. The company also launched AI-generated channel recaps and thread summaries to help users catch up on conversations. It was also disclosed that Slack uses customer chat data by default to train its AI models. Companies must submit a specific request to opt out of having their data used for this purpose.
