Salesforce Turns the Slackbot Virtual Assistant into an AI Agent
In Focus
- Slackbot AI runs on Anthropic’s Claude model
- Salesforce is making Slackbot AI accessible to Business+ and Enterprise+ subscribers
- The AI agent can interact with enterprise products like Google Drive and DropBox
Salesforce is bringing generative AI to its virtual assistant, Slackbot. The move turns the virtual assistant into an AI agent capable of sorting through information to find relevant content faster. According to CNBC, Salesforce’s updated Slackbot AI currently runs on Anthropic’s Claude model. The software giant is exploring other options.
Slackbot AI is Available to Subscribers
The software firm said Slack’s generative AI by Anthropic Claude will only be available to Business+ and Enterprise+ subscribers. With the Anthropic AI Slack integration, Slackbot can respond to user queries about information available in the app or other sources.
Other enterprise products that the AI agent interacts with to find information include DropBox, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams. According to the software giant, Slackbot AI enables enterprises to turn Slack conversations into action.
“Slackbot does not just help you find information. It helps you move forward. You can draft meeting notes, project updates, or briefs in seconds, then refine them through conversation. You can turn a rough idea into a shared canvas ready for collaboration without breaking your flow,” Salesforce stated in a blog published on its website.
Besides the Slackbot AI agent, Salesforce has previously launched an AI agent platform, Agentforce 360. The platform allows enterprises to develop, control, and launch AI agents with ease.
Growing Investment in Agentic AI
Tech companies have been developing AI agents on models developed by companies like Anthropic and OpenAI to boost productivity. Major companies like Microsoft and Google have integrated AI agents in their productivity offerings. Recently, Google introduced a Gemini Enterprise in a bid to bring AI to every workflow.
The search giant launched its AI-powered platform months after Microsoft Edge had introduced its AI-powered ‘Copilot Mode’ to transform web browsing. Slackbot has been sending automated messages and updates from third-party services since the Slack app launched in 2014. But the digital assistant lagged behind after chatbots emerged, starting with ChatGPT in 2022.
Salesforce rolled out the Slackbot AI agent months after the company blocked access to Slack data by third-party firms. Previously, AI platforms could use Slack’s API to collect and store chat data. Salesforce first announced plans to bring AI to the Slackbot in October 2025.
Investors Exercise Caution Over Software Firms
While tech companies like Google and NVIDIA ride the AI boom to achieve high market valuations, investors have been cautious about software companies like Salesforce. Some have questioned whether some firms might be displaced by competitors in future.
But Salesforce holds that AI models and coding agents are yet to disrupt cloud software.
The company also holds the view that chat services such as those offered by ChatGPT are not tied to enterprise systems. Over the past year, Salesforce has lagged the broader market, with its stock dipping 18% compared with a 24% rise in the Nasdaq.
