Dreamforce 2023 Rewind
Amid the bustling streets of San Francisco, I found myself once again in awe of the incredible experience that is Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual tech conference.
The star of the show? Well, none other than generative AI (GenAI) and, of course, my phenomenal partner in crime, Brett Stineman. Together, we brought the house down with a presentation that was all about showcasing the sheer potential of Slack and GenAI.
But here’s the twist — our session was far from your typical, stuffy presentation. We brought the energy, the passion, and the fun factor to Dreamforce. After all, we are members of the Slack practice at Slalom — having fun is what we do!
Join me as I take you through exploring the Slacktastic generative AI use cases we shared at Dreamforce.
What’s all the hype about?
Generative AI is all the hype these days, so there was no better way to kick off our session than with the Gartner Hype Cycle. It highlights the stages that emerging technologies go through, from initial exuberance to eventual maturity, helping businesses understand their potential impact and adoption timeline. In case you’re wondering, GenAI is currently riding high in the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” with a scheduled trip to the “Trough of Disillusionment.” But it’s not as bad as it sounds; once we start unlocking all the benefits that we’ve been promised with GenAI, we will enter the “Slope of Enlightenment.”
How can we get there faster? Organizations need to address the range of concerns that they are grappling with surrounding generative AI. A bit of what we’re hearing about is how they can unlock its value in the workplace, how to ensure effective utilization, data quality, and data accuracy, as well as many security considerations. While organizations are delayed, what we’re seeing are individual adopters actively experiencing the benefits of generative AI by integrating it into their daily lives. From creating professional headshots for LinkedIn profiles, to creating recipes from what’s left in the fridge, to synthesizing articles, to including AI in brainstorms, we as individuals are reaping its benefits. To get organizations there faster, our recommendation is to first identify the highest- productivity-enhancing use cases and then integrate generative AI solutions to address those use cases in the place where employees are already working — Slack. You’ll unlock more value from Slack while addressing the organizational concerns of GenAI. But alas, we weren’t the only ones with this brilliant idea. Slack is already working on it!
Generative AI in Slack
The native features inside Slack will include an AI-powered search across Slack, summarizing threaded conversations and channel summaries. While we all wait with anticipation for the pilot to start this winter, other options available today to bring GenAI into Slack are through marketplace apps and custom solutions. When it comes to marketplace apps that include GenAI, the decision to use them versus building a custom solution hinges on many factors including:
1. Size of data: How large is your data? Are you dealing with massive datasets that require specialized processing?
2. Data sources: If you require fine-tuned control over the GenAI model or want to train it with your specific data, a custom solution may be the way to go.
3. Multiple access points: If the GenAI functionality needs to tightly integrate with your existing workflows, databases, or systems, a custom app might be more suitable.
4. Frequency: How often do you need to update this data for your use case? Custom apps can be optimized for continuously evolving data requirements.
Pre-built GenAI apps typically offer specific functionalities. In addition to the data factors, consider whether these functionalities align with your precise requirements. If you need highly tailored or specialized generative AI capabilities, a custom app might be necessary.
Slacktastic use cases
Given these factors, a few “Slacktastic” use cases for custom solutions we shared included:
1. HR Concierge Bot
Reduce the toggle tax paid by employees who have to access multiple websites, portals, Slack channels or documents to find answers to all their burning healthcare, retirement, time-off (etc.) benefits questions. Give them time back to be more productive with the ease of finding what they want via natural language in a custom GenAI-powered Bot.
2. Field Service Assistant Bot
When you’re on the go with only your mobile device, quickly find answers to customers’ tricky product questions and field service issues, leveraging product docs, internal repositories, Slack channel conversations, community sites, external sites, files, maps, charts, or data. Also great for Sales teams!
3. Report Summary Bot
Request qualitative analysis of quantitative data being piped into Slack channels, such as summarization of individual reports and trends in data across reports.
4. Company Knowledge Bot
Help new hires, acquired company employees, partners, and customers learn about your company’s culture, mission, and offerings using a natural language bot in Slack. Answer questions using your company’s web content, blogs, video streams, and other public content without having to search across multiple sites.
We also shared a live demo of the Company Knowledge Bot we built here at Slalom, aptly named Keen Boar — a highly specialized knowledge sniffer bot. In the screen grab below, Keen Boar was @mentioned in the channel to source its data from guardrailed end points. In this case, Slalom’s website and YouTube channel content. In addition to allowing users to see multiple answers to a question, it includes the ability to train the model with user feedback. It’s a small glimpse at what’s possible, and we can’t wait to support your organizational transformation with GenAI.
Ready to get started?
Slalom will be there with you every step of the way. We have a pragmatic approach to move from ideation to business impact. Our unique position as a leading business and technology consulting company and our deep expertise with Slack set us apart from our competitors. We’re confident we can guide you and your organization toward harnessing the full potential of AI in Slack.
Slalom is a global consulting firm that helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Learn more and reach out today.
