Salesforce announces an AI-heavy makeover for Slack, with 30 new features

Salesforce has unveiled a significant AI-driven transformation for its workplace communication platform, Slack, introducing 30 new features designed to elevate Slackbot from a simple helper to a proactive, agentic assistant. The most notable addition is the concept of 'reusable AI-skills'—pre-built or custom-defined tasks that Slackbot can execute across various scenarios. For example, a user can command "create a budget," prompting Slackbot to gather data from channels and connected apps, formulate a plan, and even schedule a meeting with relevant team members automatically.

Technically, Slackbot now operates as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) client, enabling it to connect and coordinate with external services like Salesforce's own Agentforce AI agent platform. This allows it to intelligently route tasks and information across an enterprise's toolset. Furthermore, the agent's capabilities extend beyond Slack; it can monitor desktop activities—including deals, calendars, and habits—to draft follow-ups and make context-aware suggestions. New features also include meeting transcription and summarization, letting users ask for recaps and action items. Slack interim CEO Rob Seaman emphasized built-in privacy controls, allowing users to adjust permissions.

The overarching strategy, as highlighted by CEO Marc Benioff, is to leverage AI to make Slack an indispensable hub for core business processes, moving it far beyond its roots as a messaging app. This push follows a January update that first gave Slackbot agentic capabilities and aligns with Salesforce's company-wide AI focus. Benioff noted the platform now serves about a million businesses and has seen 2.5x revenue growth since Salesforce's acquisition.