Slack is transforming its Slackbot into a 'personalized AI companion'

Slack, the popular workplace communication platform, is transforming its in-built chatbot, Slackbot, into a more advanced "personalized AI companion." The new Slackbot is designed to assist with common work tasks, such as creating project plans, flagging priorities, and analyzing reports. It can also help users find information using natural language processing. The AI-powered Slackbot will integrate with tools like Google Drive, Salesforce, and OneDrive, providing "clear insights" from these platforms. Slack claims the new Slackbot will give employees "AI superpowers" to boost productivity. The redesigned Slackbot is currently in beta testing with 70,000 users and is expected to be widely available by the end of the year. This move is part of Slack's broader embrace of AI, which includes adding AI writing assistance and generating channel recaps and thread summaries. However, companies will have the option to turn off the feature, while individual users may not have that choice.