Slackbot, the automated assistant integrated into the corporate messaging platform Slack owned by Salesforce, is stepping into a new phase as an AI agent. Salesforce CTO Parker Harris has expressed his ambition for it to achieve the same widespread popularity as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The cloud software leader launched this updated version of Slackbot on Tuesday.

Now generally available for Business+ and Enterprise+ customers, this AI-enhanced Slackbot can perform tasks such as locating information, composing emails, and scheduling meetings—all within the Slack environment. It also has the capability to connect with and pull information from other enterprise tools like Microsoft Teams and Google Drive, provided it has the necessary permissions. This functionality enables users to operate across several common business applications without ever needing to exit Slack.

Salesforce, along with its competitors in the enterprise software sector, is heavily investing in AI product development to maintain and expand its market position. The revamped Slackbot, first unveiled at Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference in October, represents just one component of the company’s broader, AI-focused product strategy.

Harris noted that Slack does not typically introduce entirely new features; instead, it usually rolls out updates aimed at boosting user adoption. This makes the launch of Slackbot distinctly different from previous product enhancements. “It is an agent, it is a super agent that is your employee agent,” Harris explained. “It’s powered by generative AI, and it is something that is highly crafted and highly curated to be an agentic experience that employees and users love.”

Before public release, Salesforce tests new products like Slackbot extensively with its own employees for several months—a process Harris humorously referred to as “drinking their own champagne first.” He shared that Slackbot has become the most widely adopted internal tool the company has ever introduced. “Just seeing the sheer active user count is a great sign we have hit on product-market-fit,” Harris remarked regarding its internal use. “Adopted not mandated in corporations.”

According to Harris, this is only the start of Slackbot’s resurgence as an AI agent. Looking ahead, the vision is for Slackbot to evolve beyond being a text-only assistant confined to Slack. Future plans include adding voice capabilities and enabling Slackbot to browse the internet alongside users. “I am very confident that investing in Slackbot is not only good for Slack, it will be incredibly good for the entire company,” Harris stated.