Summary: Salesforce announced over 30 new AI features for Slackbot on March 31, 2026, marking the most significant update since its $27.7 billion acquisition in 2021. The revamp turns Slackbot into an advanced system capable of transcribing meetings from any video platform, tracking desktop activity, executing tasks via third-party tools through the Model Context Protocol, and acting as a lightweight CRM. These features, powered by Anthropic’s Claude, are available to Business+ and Enterprise+ subscribers, with free and Pro users gaining limited access starting in April. From summer 2026, Slack will be included with every new Salesforce account.
Salesforce has launched Slack’s biggest update since its $27.7 billion acquisition four years ago. At a San Francisco event on March 31, 2026, CEO Marc Benioff revealed over 30 AI-powered features for Slackbot, transforming it from a messaging tool into an “agentic operating system.” This platform enables interaction with AI agents, applications, and colleagues through a single interface. The update builds on a January 2026 enhancement that added email drafting, meeting scheduling, and inbox searching to Slackbot. The latest features expand its capabilities significantly.
Functions of the 30 new features
The update’s highlight is reusable AI skills, allowing users to define workflows like “summarise this campaign brief” and “generate a budget plan for this event,” saving them as skills. Slackbot learns to identify when such tasks arise and automates them by gathering information from connected sources without user configuration. The demand for AI to handle repetitive tasks without manual setup is standard, and Slack’s reusable skills address this need.
Meeting intelligence allows Slackbot to join Zoom, Google Meet, or Slack Huddle calls via desktop audio. It not only transcribes but also identifies decisions, assigns tasks, and delivers a summary post-meeting. The desktop agent extends its functionality beyond the Slack app, using a user’s activities to offer proactive suggestions and follow-ups. This feature raises privacy concerns, as users must grant AI extensive access to their desktop.
Slack is launching a native CRM for small businesses within the chat interface. Slackbot updates records automatically by tracking deals and new contacts mentioned in channels. Companies can upgrade to full Salesforce CRM if needed, without losing their data. Additionally, Slackbot can now function as an MCP client, connecting and coordinating with any external service using the MCP server registered in Slack’s manifest. Supported services include Agentforce, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Notion, Workday, ServiceNow, and others in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Claude, FedRAMP, and the Anthropic contract
Slackbot’s new capabilities run on Anthropic’s Claude. Salesforce selected Claude partly due to its compliance with FedRAMP Moderate certification requirements, essential for regulated sectors. Since the decision, Anthropic’s prominence as an enterprise AI provider has grown, and the Slack partnership showcases Claude’s capabilities. With nearly a million weekly active users already, Slackbot’s user base is expected to grow with new pricing and bundling strategies.
Leadership changes
The March 31 event’s importance was emphasized by Marc Benioff’s direct involvement, highlighting Slack’s significance to Salesforce. Notably, Slack’s CEO Denise Dresser left in December 2025 for OpenAI, with Rob Seaman taking over as interim CEO. Dresser’s exit to OpenAI, a main competitor in AI, presented challenges for Salesforce amid its major product launch.
The Microsoft challenge
The 30-new-feature release addresses competition, particularly from Microsoft’s integrated AI efforts within its 365 suite. Slack argues that a communication-focused interface with broad compatibility, not reliant on a single platform, offers a better AI home. This stance, supported by the new capabilities, strengthens Slack’s position against Microsoft.
Pricing and future offerings
Slackbot is available in Business+ and Enterprise+ plans at no extra charge. A limited version will roll out to free and Pro users starting April 2026. By summer, new Salesforce customers will receive Slack with AI features by default. This bundling strategy integrates AI without additional costs. Salesforce’s choice to use a FedRAMP-certified model meets security expectations. Though it remains uncertain if this can shift existing Microsoft 365 users, Salesforce’s commitment to Slackbot as its flagship product is clear.