Slack (opens in new tab) has released a beta build of its messaging service with ChatGPT as an integrated app.
In a joint announcement by Salesforce and OpenAI, the teams behind the online collaboration tool (opens in new tab) and AI writer (opens in new tab) revealed the new feature will bring AI-powered messaging and assistance tools to the platform to help streamline workflows.
Citing research (opens in new tab) conducted by Salesforce, the announcement commented that IT leaders believe generative AI (opens in new tab) can increase efficiency and “take advantage of data”. For this reason, the ChatGPT app within Slack “combines knowledge found in Slack with the intelligence of ChatGPT, empowering customers with the information they need to move work forward faster.”
Improved efficiency
ChatGPT is a Large Language Model that can be asked questions or prompts in a normal way and respond in a human-like fashion. It can be used to perform all sorts of linguistic tasks, from finding out information to writing original content in a style of your choosing.
In Slack, this means it can summarize conversations, help you with research and draft new messages, all in the name of saving valuable time.
The announcement also pointed out that privacy will be maintained as ChatGPT will not use any data it has access to in Slack to train itself. It was also noted that OpenAI used the SDKs and development tools of the Slack platform to “[ensure] the app is secure and scalable from day one.”
OpenAI apparently already uses Slack, operating “more than 170 Slack Connect channels to connect directly with their customers.” It also uses Slack Huddles, which, like Slack Connect, is “integral to OpenAI’s operating model for customer communications.”
The company has been testing out a pilot version of the ChatGPT app within its own instance of Slack too, using it to “engage with their customers directly across sales, service, and engineering teams.”
“The ChatGPT app for Slack deeply integrates the power of OpenAI’s cutting edge large language models into Slack’s conversational interface,” said Slack CPO Noah Desai Weiss.
It’s also claimed that the integration “will give customers new superpowers by helping them tap the collective knowledge of their organization’s channel archives.”
The announcement comes as other companies look to commercialize the potential of the chatbot, most notably Microsoft. As one of the biggest investors in OpenAI, it has been integrating its models into many products, from its Bing search engine (opens in new tab) and Edge web browser (opens in new tab), to the entire Dynamics 365 (opens in new tab) business suite.
