ChatGPT Is Coming To Slack: Everything We Know
Whether or not the AI apocalypse is upon us, opinions vary, generative artificial intelligence solutions are popping up in an increasing number of public-facing roles. Slack is the latest major name to implement a ChatGPT app. According to a press release from Slack parent company Salesforce, the popular workplace chat client has partnered with OpenAI to provide users with a ChatGPT-powered assistant capable of summarizing conversations in given Slack channels, supporting research projects and improving written communication on the fly.
Slack will be leveraging OpenAI's large-language models to deliver an intuitive conversational interface for the app. Per Slack's Chief Product Office Noah Desai Weiss, "There couldn't be a more natural fit. [OpenAI models] will give customers new superpowers by helping them tap the collective knowledge of their organization's channel archives. We're excited to partner with OpenAI to bring more generative AI powers directly into Slack to deliver productivity efficiencies for everyone."
The Slack ChatGPT app is currently in beta with a waitlist available for interested users. It will be joining the growing number of AI assistants available in widely used digital tools.
Bots on parade
Salesforce isn't limiting its AI investment to Slack, either. In March 2023, Salesforce announced Einstein GPT, which the company calls the world's first generative AI tool made specifically for customer relationship management. According to Salesforce, Einstein will deliver AI-generated content across Salesforce verticals, supporting all customer interactions with AI.
Both Einstein GPT and Slack's new ChatGPT chatbot represent shifts in the way a major company expects its customers to interact with products. AI has historically been a niche tool intended for professional use. As late as 2017, SlashGear found that AI assistants still had serious obstacles to overcome.
In the six years since that assessment, customer engagement with AI has gone beyond even the most optimistic predictions. Microsoft and Google have laid out rival camps for AI dominance. There are rumors of a competing chatbot from Apple in the near future, too. All are built on the idea that users want to interact with AI directly.
In that respect, Slack's new chatbot is more than a gadget. It's a sign of the times. Conversational AI interfaces are rapidly becoming fundamental to end-user digital ecosystems.