The current phase of disillusionment is not a dead end but rather a recalibration. As enterprises and vendors align expectations with the technology’s capabilities, generative AI can move beyond the hype to deliver sustainable value.
As the vacation ownership industry grows, focus on innovation, personalization, and partnerships sets Salesforce apart. By leveraging Salesforce and Tableau, the company ensures its systems, teams, and customer experiences evolve to meet the expectations of modern travelers, delivering on its promise of unforgettable vacations.
GenAI: Transforming the Role of Data Science Teams Challenges, Opportunities, and the Evolving Responsibilities of Data Scientists Generative AI (GenAI) is revolutionizing the AI landscape, offering faster development cycles, reduced technical overhead, and enabling groundbreaking use cases that once seemed unattainable. However, it also introduces new challenges, including the risks of hallucinations and reliance on third-party APIs. For Data Scientists and Machine Learning (ML) teams, this shift directly impacts their roles. GenAI-driven projects, often powered by external providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Meta, blur traditional lines. AI solutions are increasingly accessible to non-technical teams, but this accessibility raises fundamental questions about the role and responsibilities of data science teams in ensuring effective, ethical, and future-proof AI systems. Let’s explore how this evolution is reshaping the field. Expanding Possibilities Without Losing Focus While GenAI unlocks opportunities to solve a broader range of challenges, not every problem warrants an AI solution. Data Scientists remain vital in assessing when and where AI is appropriate, selecting the right approaches—whether GenAI, traditional ML, or hybrid solutions—and designing reliable systems. Although GenAI broadens the toolkit, two factors shape its application: For example, incorporating features that enable user oversight of AI outputs may prove more strategic than attempting full automation with extensive fine-tuning. Differentiation will not come from simply using LLMs, which are widely accessible, but from the unique value and functionality they enable. Traditional ML Is Far from Dead—It’s Evolving with GenAI While GenAI is transformative, traditional ML continues to play a critical role. Many use cases, especially those unrelated to text or images, are best addressed with ML. GenAI often complements traditional ML, enabling faster prototyping, enhanced experimentation, and hybrid systems that blend the strengths of both approaches. For instance, traditional ML workflows—requiring extensive data preparation, training, and maintenance—contrast with GenAI’s simplified process: prompt engineering, offline evaluation, and API integration. This allows rapid proof of concept for new ideas. Once proven, teams can refine solutions using traditional ML to optimize costs or latency, or transition to Small Language Models (SMLs) for greater control and performance. Hybrid systems are increasingly common. For example, DoorDash combines LLMs with ML models for product classification. LLMs handle cases the ML model cannot classify confidently, retraining the ML system with new insights—a powerful feedback loop. GenAI Solves New Problems—But Still Needs Expertise The AI landscape is shifting from bespoke in-house models to fewer, large multi-task models provided by external vendors. While this simplifies some aspects of AI implementation, it requires teams to remain vigilant about GenAI’s probabilistic nature and inherent risks. Key challenges unique to GenAI include: Data Scientists must ensure robust evaluations, including statistical and model-based metrics, before deployment. Monitoring tools like Datadog now offer LLM-specific observability, enabling teams to track system performance in real-world environments. Teams must also address ethical concerns, applying frameworks like ComplAI to benchmark models and incorporating guardrails to align outputs with organizational and societal values. Building AI Literacy Across Organizations AI literacy is becoming a critical competency for organizations. Beyond technical implementation, competitive advantage now depends on how effectively the entire workforce understands and leverages AI. Data Scientists are uniquely positioned to champion this literacy by leading initiatives such as internal training, workshops, and hackathons. These efforts can: The New Role of Data Scientists: A Strategic Pivot The role of Data Scientists is not diminishing but evolving. Their expertise remains essential to ensure AI solutions are reliable, ethical, and impactful. Key responsibilities now include: By adapting to this new landscape, Data Scientists will continue to play a pivotal role in guiding organizations to harness AI effectively and responsibly. GenAI is not replacing them; it’s expanding their impact. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more
The UK Leading AI’s Third Wave: Insights from Salesforce’s AI Readiness Index Salesforce’s latest UK AI Readiness Index positions the UK as a frontrunner in the third wave of AI innovation, particularly in agentic AI—autonomous systems capable of decision-making and action. This comes as nations globally compete for leadership in AI development, with significant implications for economic growth, national security, and technological sovereignty. UK’s AI Readiness Exceeds G7 Averages The index reveals that the UK’s overall readiness score is 65.5, outpacing the G7 average of 61.2. Both government and business sectors outperform their peers, reflecting a robust environment for innovation. Zahra Bahrololoumi, CBE, UKI CEO of Salesforce, highlights the transformative potential of this technology, stating: “Agentic AI is revolutionising enterprise software by enabling seamless collaboration between humans and AI agents, driving customer success. The UK AI Readiness Index affirms the UK’s vision and infrastructure to lead globally in this new wave of innovation.” Driving Forces Behind UK’s Leadership The UK’s strength lies in its holistic approach to AI development, integrating: Minister for AI and Digital Government, Feryal Clark, notes: “These findings are proof that the UK is primed to leverage AI’s potential, showcasing our strength in fostering innovation, investment, and collaboration across sectors.” AI in Action: Transforming UK Businesses Salesforce’s Agentforce platform is helping UK organisations capitalise on AI’s potential. Leading companies such as Capita, Heathrow Airport, and Bionic have reported significant productivity gains: The Road Ahead: Maintaining Leadership The report outlines key priorities for sustaining the UK’s position: Salesforce’s commitment to the UK includes a $4 billion investment over five years and the opening of its AI Centre in London, aimed at training developers and administrators in cutting-edge AI technologies. What the Experts Say Antony Walker, Deputy CEO of techUK, remarks: “The Salesforce UK AI Readiness Index highlights the UK’s strong position to lead the next wave of AI innovation. By supporting SMEs, investing in skills, and ensuring flexible regulation, the UK can solidify its global AI leadership.” Paul O’Sullivan, UKI CTO and SVP Solution Engineering at Salesforce, reinforces the urgency: “We are in the third wave of AI—an autonomous age moving at unprecedented speed. The UK has a unique opportunity to lead, but this requires sustained focus on skills, innovation, and collaboration.” Conclusion As the AI revolution accelerates, the UK’s leadership in agentic AI positions it as a global AI powerhouse. By balancing innovation with responsibility and investing in infrastructure and talent, the UK is not just adapting to AI’s future but shaping it. Salesforce’s AI initiatives, including its Agentforce platform and London AI Centre, ensure the UK remains at the forefront of this transformational journey. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
How Salesforce Drives Digital Transformation in Governmental Agencies in 2025 In the evolving digital age, government agencies face an increasing demand to modernize their services, improve citizen engagement, and deliver seamless digital experiences. These organizations require transformational technologies that not only streamline internal operations but also adopt a citizen-first approach. Salesforce emerges as a key enabler of this transformation, empowering government agencies with tools to build unified, transparent platforms while fostering efficiency and enhancing citizen interaction. Leveraging Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce CRM, agencies can overcome common challenges and embrace a more digitally enabled public sector. Let’s explore the pressing challenges government agencies face and how Salesforce provides practical, scalable solutions to address them. 1. Citizen Engagement and Accessibility: Bridging the Digital Divide Challenge: Citizens now expect government services to be as user-friendly and accessible as private-sector experiences. Lengthy response times, disconnected platforms, and inconsistent experiences across digital and physical touchpoints erode trust and hinder accessibility. Solution: 2. Data Security and Compliance: Safeguarding Citizen Trust Challenge: Handling sensitive citizen data requires robust security and strict compliance with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and other local data privacy laws. Solution: 3. Legacy Systems and Integration: Modernizing Infrastructure Challenge: Legacy systems often limit agility, making it difficult to integrate new technologies and slowing the pace of digital transformation. Solution: 4. Budget Constraints: Implementing Cost-Effective Solutions Challenge: Budget limitations often hinder the adoption of new technologies, especially those requiring significant upfront investment. Solution: 5. Efficient Service Delivery: Streamlining Workflows Challenge: Paper-heavy, bureaucratic processes delay service delivery and frustrate both staff and citizens. Solution: 6. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Analytics for Informed Policies Challenge: Generating actionable insights from vast amounts of data is challenging, affecting policymaking and government efficiency. Solution: 7. Enhancing Collaboration: A Unified Workforce Challenge: Siloed departments hinder collaboration and reduce overall productivity, making it difficult to provide cohesive citizen services. Solution: 8. Real-Time Responsiveness: Meeting Citizen Expectations Challenge: Citizens expect real-time support and proactive communication from government agencies. Delays lead to frustration and diminished trust. Solution: Transforming Government Services with Salesforce Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce CRM are tailored to address public sector challenges in 2025. By leveraging these tools, government agencies can: Salesforce offers a clear path to a digitally empowered future, enabling government agencies to meet today’s demands while laying the foundation for innovation. Ready to Transform?If your agency is ready to embrace digital transformation, streamline operations, and enhance citizen services, Salesforce can help you get there. Let’s discuss how Salesforce solutions, supported by expert implementation, can drive meaningful change for your organization and your citizens. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Salesforce’s Agentforce empowers businesses to create and deploy custom AI agents tailored to their unique needs. Built on a foundation of flexibility, the platform leverages both Salesforce’s proprietary AI models and third-party models like those from OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, and Google. This versatility enables businesses to automate a wide range of tasks, from generating detailed sales reports to summarizing Slack conversations. AI in Action: Real-World Insights and Applications The “CXO AI Playbook” by Business Insider explores how organizations across industries and sizes are adopting AI. Featured companies reveal their challenges, the decision-makers driving AI initiatives, and their strategic goals for the future. Salesforce’s approach with Agentforce aligns with this vision, offering advanced tools to address dynamic business needs and improve operational efficiency. Building on Salesforce’s Legacy of Innovation Salesforce has long been a leader in AI integration. It introduced Einstein in 2016 to handle scripted tasks like predictive analytics. As AI capabilities evolved, Salesforce launched Einstein GPT and later Einstein Copilot, which expanded into decision-making and natural language processing. By early 2024, these advancements culminated in Agentforce—a platform designed to provide customizable, prebuilt AI agents for diverse applications. “We recognized that our customers wanted to extend our AI capabilities or create their own custom agents,” said Tyler Carlson, Salesforce’s VP of Business Development. A Powerful Ecosystem: Agentforce’s Core Features Agentforce is powered by the Atlas Reasoning Engine, Salesforce’s proprietary technology that employs ReAct prompting to enable AI agents to break down problems, refine their responses, and deliver more accurate outcomes. The engine integrates seamlessly with Salesforce’s own large language models (LLMs) and external models, ensuring adaptability and precision. Agentforce also emphasizes strict data privacy and security. For example, data shared with external LLMs is subject to limited retention policies and content filtering to ensure compliance and safety. Key Applications and Use Cases Businesses can leverage tools like Agentbuilder to design and scale AI agents with specific functionalities, such as: Seamless Integration with Slack Currently in beta, Agentforce’s Slack integration brings AI automation directly to the workplace. This allows employee-facing agents to execute tasks and answer queries within the communication tool. “Slack is valuable for employee-facing agents because it makes their capabilities easily accessible,” Carlson explained. Measurable Impact: Driving Success with Agentforce Salesforce measures the success of Agentforce by tracking client outcomes. Early adopters report significant results, such as a 90% resolution rate for customer inquiries managed by AI agents. As adoption grows, Salesforce envisions a robust ecosystem of partners, AI skills, and agent capabilities. “By next year, we foresee thousands of agent skills and topics available to clients, driving broader adoption across our CRM systems and Slack,” Carlson shared. Salesforce’s Agentforce represents the next generation of intelligent business automation, combining advanced AI with seamless integrations to deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes at scale. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
AI in Business Intelligence: Uses, Benefits, and Challenges AI tools are increasingly becoming integral to Business Intelligence (BI) systems, enhancing analytics capabilities and streamlining tasks. In this article, we explore how AI can bring new value to BI processes and what to consider as this integration continues to evolve. AI’s Role in Business Intelligence Business Intelligence tools, such as dashboards and interactive reports, have traditionally focused on analyzing historical and current data to describe business performance—known as descriptive analytics. While valuable, many business users seek more than just a snapshot of past performance. They also want predictive insights (forecasting future trends) and prescriptive guidance (recommendations for action). Historically, implementing these advanced capabilities was challenging due to their complexity, but AI simplifies this process. By leveraging AI’s analytical power and natural language processing (NLP), businesses can move from descriptive to predictive and prescriptive analytics, enabling proactive decision-making. AI-powered BI systems also offer the advantage of real-time data analysis, providing up-to-date insights that help businesses respond quickly to changing conditions. Additionally, AI can automate routine tasks, boosting efficiency across business operations. Benefits of Using AI in BI Initiatives The integration of AI into BI systems brings several key benefits, including: Examples of AI Applications in BI AI’s role in BI is not limited to internal process improvements. It can significantly enhance customer experience (CX) and support business growth. Here are a few examples: Challenges of Implementing AI in BI While the potential for AI in BI is vast, there are several challenges companies must address: Best Practices for Deploying AI in BI To maximize the benefits of AI in BI, companies should follow these best practices: Future Trends to Watch AI is not poised to replace traditional BI tools but to augment them with new capabilities. In the future, we can expect: In conclusion, AI is transforming business intelligence by turning data analysis from a retrospective activity into a forward-looking, real-time process. While challenges remain, such as data governance, ethical concerns, and skill shortages, AI’s potential to enhance BI systems and drive business success is undeniable. By following best practices and staying abreast of industry developments, businesses can harness AI to unlock new opportunities and deliver better insights. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more
Salesforce has launched the Agentforce Testing Center, a groundbreaking tool for testing, deploying, and managing AI agents at scale. This innovative platform uses synthetically generated data to ensure AI agents perform accurate actions and deliver precise responses while providing comprehensive monitoring of usage and feedback. A New Era of AI Testing The Agentforce Testing Center operates within Salesforce’s enterprise-grade platform, integrated seamlessly with Data Cloud. It introduces no-code tools that allow organizations to test AI agents securely in sandbox environments, ensuring minimal risk to live production systems. By enabling robust testing and optimization, this tool helps businesses confidently deploy AI agents tailored to their needs. According to Adam Evans, EVP and GM for the Salesforce AI Platform, the Agentforce Testing Center is a critical tool for modern enterprises: “Agentforce is helping businesses create a limitless workforce. CIOs need tools for testing and monitoring agentic systems. This offering marks the next evolution of lifecycle management, enabling businesses to deploy trusted AI agents in a secure, repeatable way.” Key Capabilities of the Agentforce Testing Center Industry Implications Keith Kirkpatrick, Research Director at The Futurum Group, emphasized the importance of this offering: “To build trust in AI, businesses need robust tools to pressure test autonomous agents. Salesforce’s Testing Center delivers this capability, ensuring AI agents can reason, retrieve data, and adapt effectively.” Enhancing AI Agent Strategies The Agentforce Testing Center’s integration with Salesforce tools like DevOps Center and Change Sets further simplifies deployment workflows. Features like User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and real-time alerts in the Digital Wallet give teams deeper control and visibility into AI performance, ensuring business readiness before live deployment. As Salesforce continues to invest in AI innovation, including recent acquisitions to enhance Data Cloud security, the Agentforce Testing Center positions the CRM leader as a pioneer in responsible and scalable AI deployment. This offering exemplifies how businesses can create a “limitless workforce” while maintaining trust, transparency, and efficiency in AI operations. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
The Rise of Digital Workers: Unlocking a New Era of Opportunity Over the past two years, advancements in artificial intelligence have sparked a revolution in how humans work, live, and connect. While impressive generative AI models have garnered significant attention, a new paradigm of autonomous AI agents is emerging, promising transformative changes to industries and societies alike. Unlike traditional “predictive AI,” which analyzes data for recommendations, and “generative AI,” which creates content based on learned patterns, autonomous AI agents go a step further. These agents operate independently, executing tasks, making decisions, and even negotiating with other agents. This evolution introduces an intelligent digital workforce capable of scaling operations, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity. Consider a large retailer during the holiday season. Instead of relying on human workers or pre-programmed software to address customer inquiries or update inventory, autonomous agents can seamlessly manage customer interactions, monitor stock levels, reorder items, and coordinate shipping—all without human intervention. This level of automation represents a groundbreaking shift, enabling businesses to operate on an unprecedented scale. Expanding the Reach of Digital Labor Autonomous AI agents are breaking traditional barriers of human availability and physical constraints, enabling businesses to scale globally and more efficiently. These digital workers are not limited by geography, opening opportunities previously restricted to specific locations. However, this shift comes with challenges. Ensuring trust, accountability, and transparency in AI systems is critical. Equally important is investing in human-centric skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability, which remain uniquely human. Sustainability is another concern, as AI-driven technologies place increasing demands on energy and resources. By addressing these issues, societies can unlock the full potential of digital labor while safeguarding the planet and human values. Transforming Everyday Lives Beyond businesses, autonomous agents are poised to transform personal lives. Personalized agents can act as tutors for students, guiding them through their learning journeys. For individuals, these agents can manage everyday tasks, from scheduling appointments to coordinating complex logistics. In healthcare, AI agents are already alleviating administrative burdens on providers. For example, intelligent agents can handle patient communications, monitor progress, and schedule follow-ups, freeing doctors and nurses to focus on complex cases. Such innovations hold the potential to revolutionize patient care and improve outcomes across the board. Navigating Disruption and Change Like any transformative technology, the rise of autonomous agents will bring disruptions. Some industries will struggle to adapt, and jobs will inevitably evolve—or, in some cases, disappear. History shows, however, that technological revolutions often create far more opportunities than they displace. For example, the U.S. workforce grew by over 100 million jobs between 1950 and 2020, many in industries that didn’t exist before. The key lies in preparing workers for new roles through education and training. Autonomous agents are essential in addressing global challenges such as labor shortages and stagnant productivity growth. They amplify human capabilities, driving innovation and boosting economic output. For example, in the third quarter of 2024, U.S. productivity rose by 2.2%, fueled in part by AI advancements. Driving Innovation and Collaboration AI agents are also fostering innovation, sparking the creation of new companies and industries. More than 5,000 AI-focused startups have emerged in the past decade in the U.S. alone. This trend mirrors the technological revolutions driven by past innovations like microchips, the internet, and smartphones. However, effectively harnessing agentic AI requires collaboration among governments, businesses, nonprofits, and academia. Initiatives like the G7’s framework for AI accountability and the Bletchley Declaration emphasize transparency, safety, and data privacy, offering critical guardrails as AI adoption accelerates. A Vision for the Future Autonomous agents represent a powerful force for change, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses and individuals alike. By leveraging these technologies responsibly and investing in human potential, societies can ensure a future of abundance and progress. As Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, emphasizes, “AI has the potential to elevate every company, fuel economic growth, uplift communities, and lead to a future of abundance. If trust is our north star, agents will empower us to make a meaningful impact at an unprecedented scale.” Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Introducing AI-Checking Agents: The Next Frontier in Software Quality Assurance The software industry has continually evolved in its pursuit of better quality assurance (QA) methods. While traditional approaches like unit testing and manual QA offer foundational tools, they often fail to meet the growing complexity of modern software. Automated testing and DevOps practices have helped, but these methods are still time-intensive, costly, and limited in scope. AI-Checking Agents. Enter AI-Checking Agents — an innovative solution leveraging generative AI to revolutionize software testing and quality assurance. These agents promise unprecedented coverage, speed, and efficiency, addressing the challenges of today’s demanding software ecosystems. Why AI-Checking Agents? Traditional QA methods fall short in delivering exhaustive coverage for the diverse behaviors and interactions of modern software. AI-Checking Agents close this gap by introducing: Synthetic Users: Revolutionizing User Experience (UX) Testing One of the most groundbreaking features of AI-Checking Agents is the ability to create synthetic users. These AI-driven personas simulate real-world user interactions, offering a novel approach to UX analysis. Key Features of Synthetic Users: UX Insights Delivered by Synthetic Users: Benefits of AI-Checking Agents in QA Integrating AI-Checking Agents with Existing QA Practices AI-Checking Agents are not a replacement for traditional methods but a powerful complement to existing practices: Transforming the Development Process AI-Checking Agents not only streamline QA but also enhance the overall development process: The Future of Quality Assurance AI-Checking Agents represent a paradigm shift in software testing, blending the best of AI-driven insights with traditional QA practices. By integrating these agents into their workflows, development teams can achieve: In a world of ever-evolving software demands, AI-Checking Agents are the key to achieving unparalleled speed, depth, and precision in quality assurance. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
How Salesforce Agents are Transforming Internal Workflows Salesforce CIO and Executive Vice President Juan Perez, with three decades of IT leadership experience, is leading the charge in deploying generative AI solutions like Agentforce within Salesforce. Perez’s approach reflects lessons learned during his tenure at UPS, where he oversaw IT operations for a global enterprise. His strategies emphasize scalability, data strategy, and modernization to support growth, with AI now playing a pivotal role. UPS Lessons Applied to Salesforce Perez draws on his UPS experience in managing IT at scale to navigate Salesforce’s needs as a growing enterprise. At UPS, he managed a complex, global IT organization supporting diverse operations, from running an airline to ensuring timely package delivery. Similarly, Salesforce’s IT strategy prioritizes scalable solutions, robust data strategies, and AI integration. “Salesforce intelligently realized the importance of leveraging its own technologies, including AI, to modernize and support growth,” Perez explains. Generative AI’s Transformative Potential Perez views generative AI (GenAI) as a transformative force on par with the internet’s emergence in the 1990s. By reducing the time spent on data analysis and decision-making, AI enables teams to focus on actions that improve productivity and customer service. While GenAI isn’t a solution in itself, Perez sees it as an enabler that amplifies human efforts. Evaluating and Integrating AI in Salesforce’s Stack Salesforce adopts a rigorous, multi-step approach to evaluate new technologies, including large language models (LLMs) and generative AI tools. Perez outlines a “filtering mechanism” for implementation: This structured approach ensures AI investments are both impactful and sustainable. Measuring AI’s ROI To quantify the impact of AI, Salesforce evaluates metrics like lines of code generated using AI tools and time saved through automation. In one example, approximately 26% of production-ready code in a recent deployment was AI-generated. This efficiency is factored into planning and budgeting, allowing resources to be reallocated to other initiatives. Mitigating “Shadow AI” Risks Perez warns against “shadow AI,” where decentralized or unmanaged AI implementations can lead to security, data privacy, and investment inefficiencies. He stresses the need for visibility and governance to prevent these risks. To address this, Salesforce has established an AI Council that is evolving into an Agentforce Center of Excellence. This body ensures responsible development, aligns projects with organizational goals, and maintains oversight of AI implementations across the enterprise. Responsible and Scalable AI Adoption Salesforce’s commitment to using its own products extends to Agentforce, a generative AI suite designed to streamline internal workflows. With a focus on governance, scalability, and measurable impact, Salesforce sets a benchmark for AI adoption. As Perez explains, “We ensure our AI solutions are safe, effective, and capable of driving significant value while remaining aligned with our strategic goals.” By combining rigorous evaluation, measurable outcomes, and proactive governance, Salesforce demonstrates how AI can transform workflows while mitigating risks. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Be the change you want to see in the artificial intelligence world. Or scramble to catch up. Hope Is Not Lost for Human-Centered AIHow designers can lead the charge in creating AI that truly benefits humanity. The rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) brings with it a range of ethical and societal concerns. From inherent biases in datasets to fears of widespread job displacement, these challenges often feel like inevitable trade-offs as AI becomes deeply embedded in our lives. However, hope remains. Human-centered AI—designed to be fair, transparent, and genuinely beneficial—is not only possible but achievable when crafted with intentionality. For UX professionals, this is an opportunity to drive the creation of AI systems that empower rather than overshadow human capabilities. A Quick Note on AI Literacy To make meaningful contributions to AI product development, designers need a foundational understanding of how AI works. While a PhD in machine learning isn’t necessary, being an informed practitioner is essential. Think of learning about AI like learning to invest. At first, it seems daunting—what even is an ETF? But with time, the jargon and processes become familiar. Similarly, while you don’t need to be a machine-learning expert to work with AI, understanding its basics is critical. AI refers broadly to a computer’s ability to mimic human thought, while machine learning (ML)—a subset of AI—enables systems to learn from data. Unlike traditional programming, where explicit instructions are coded line by line, ML models identify patterns within training datasets. These models then function as “black boxes,” generating outputs based on user inputs—though the inner workings are often opaque. Understanding these fundamentals empowers designers to bridge the gap between AI’s technical potential and its real-world application. Design-Led AI Ideally, designers are involved from the very beginning of AI product development—during the discovery phase. Here, we evaluate whether AI is the right solution for a given problem, ensuring user needs drive decisions rather than the allure of flashy tech. Key questions to ground AI solutions in user needs include: Basic AI literacy allows designers to make informed judgments and collaborate effectively with engineers. Engaging early ensures that AI solutions are designed to adapt to users—not the other way around. But what happens when design isn’t brought in until after AI decisions have been made? Design-Guarded AI Even when AI is a foregone conclusion, designers can still shape outcomes by focusing on the two areas where users interact directly with AI: inputs and outputs. Input Design Whether inputs involve transaction data, images, or text prompts, the method of collection must be intuitive and user-friendly. Established design principles, such as affordances, help ensure clarity and simplicity. For example: Frequent user testing ensures input methods align with real workflows and pain points. The result? Streamlined, user-centric experiences that reduce friction and save time. Output Design Designing outputs requires a focus on transparency and mitigating automation bias—the tendency to over-rely on AI. Users must understand that AI is fallible. For instance: AI should act as a collaborator, not an authority. Outputs must empower users to make informed choices while supporting their next steps within a seamless workflow. Ethics Must Take Center Stage No discussion of human-centered AI is complete without addressing ethics. Designers must champion transparency, inclusivity, and fairness throughout the product lifecycle. Questions around bias, privacy, and unintended consequences must be raised early and revisited often. While ethical considerations may sometimes conflict with short-term business goals, prioritizing them is essential for building AI that serves humanity in the long term. These conversations won’t always be easy—but they are necessary. As designers, we have the tools and responsibility to ensure AI remains a force for good. By advocating for human-centered design principles, we can help shape an AI-powered future that enhances human potential rather than undermining it. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more
Salesforce Doubles Down on AI Innovation with Agentforce Salesforce, renowned for its CRM software used by over 150,000 businesses, including Amazon and Walmart, continues to push the boundaries of innovation. Beyond its flagship CRM, Salesforce also owns Slack, the popular workplace communication app. Now, the company is taking its AI capabilities to the next level with Agentforce—a platform that empowers businesses to build and deploy AI-powered digital agents for automating tasks such as creating sales reports and summarizing Slack conversations. What Problem Does Agentforce Solve? Salesforce has been leveraging AI for years, starting with the launch of Einstein in 2016. Einstein’s initial capabilities were limited to basic, scriptable tasks. However, the rise of generative AI created an opportunity to tackle more complex challenges, enabling tools to make smarter decisions and interpret natural language. This evolution led to a series of innovations—Einstein GPT, Einstein Copilot, and now Agentforce—a flexible platform offering prebuilt and customizable agents designed to meet diverse business needs. “Our customers wanted more. Some wanted to tweak the agents we offer, while others wanted to create their own,” said Tyler Carlson, Salesforce’s VP of Business Development. The Technology Behind Agentforce Agentforce is powered by Salesforce’s Atlas Reasoning Engine, developed in-house to drive smarter decision-making. The platform integrates with AI models from leading providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, and Google, offering businesses a variety of tools to choose from. Slack, which Salesforce acquired in 2021, plays a pivotal role as a testing ground for these AI agents. Currently in beta, Agentforce’s Slack integration allows businesses to implement automations directly where employees work, enhancing usability. “Slack makes these tools easy to use and accessible,” Carlson noted. How Agentforce Stands Out Customizing AI for Business Needs With tools like Agentbuilder, businesses can create AI agents tailored to specific tasks. For instance, an agent could prioritize and sort incoming emails, respond to HR inquiries, or handle customer support using internal data. One standout example is Salesforce’s partnership with Workday to develop an AI-powered service agent for employee questions. Driving Results and Adoption Salesforce has already seen promising results from early trials, with Agentforce resolving 90% of customer inquiries autonomously. The company aims to expand adoption and functionality, allowing these agents to handle even larger workloads. “We’re building a bigger ecosystem of partners and skills,” Carlson emphasized. “By next year, we want Agentforce to be a must-have for businesses.” With Agentforce, Salesforce continues to cement its role as a leader in AI innovation, helping businesses work smarter, faster, and more effectively. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
AI’s Impact on Future Information Ecosystems The proliferation of generative AI technology has ignited a renewed focus within the media industry on how to strategically adapt to its capabilities. Media professionals are now confronted with crucial questions: What are the most effective ways to leverage this technology for efficiency in news production and to enhance audience experiences? Conversely, what threats do these technological advancements pose? Is legacy media on the brink of yet another wave of disintermediation from its audiences? Additionally, how does the evolution of technology impact journalism ethics? AI’s Impact on Future Information Ecosystems. In response to these challenges, the Open Society Foundations (OSF) launched the AI in Journalism Futures project earlier this year. The first phase of this ambitious initiative involved an open call for participants to develop future-oriented scenarios that explore the potential driving forces and implications of AI within the broader media ecosystem. The project sought to answer questions about what might transpire among various stakeholders in 5, 10, or 15 years. As highlighted by Nick Diakopoulos, scenarios are a valuable method for capturing a diverse range of perspectives on complex issues. While predicting the future is not the goal, understanding a variety of plausible alternatives can significantly inform current strategic thinking. Ultimately, more than 800 individuals from approximately 70 countries contributed short scenarios for analysis. The AI in Journalism Futures project subsequently utilized these scenarios as a foundation for a workshop, which refined the ideas outlined in their report. Diakopoulos emphasizes the importance of examining this broad set of initial scenarios, which OSF graciously provided in anonymized form. This analysis specifically explores (1) the various types of impacts identified within the scenarios, (2) the associated timeframes for these impacts—whether they are short, medium, or long-term, and (3) the global differences in focus across regions, highlighting how different parts of the world emphasized distinct types of impacts. While many additional questions could be explored regarding this data—such as the drivers of impacts, final outcomes, severity, stakeholders involved, or technical capabilities emphasized—this analysis focuses primarily on impacts. Refining the Data The initial pool of 872 scenarios underwent a rigorous process of cleaning, filtering, transformation, and verification before analysis. Firstly, scenarios shorter than 50 words were excluded from consideration, resulting in 852 scenarios for analysis. Additionally, 14 scenarios that were not written in English were translated using Google Sheets. To enable geographic and temporal analysis, the country of origin for each scenario writer was mapped to their respective continents, and the free-text “timeframe” field was converted into numerical representations of years. Next, impacts were extracted from each scenario using an LLM (GPT-4 in this case). The prompts for the LLM were refined through iteration, with a clear definition established for what constitutes an “impact.” Diakopoulos defined an impact as “a significant effect, consequence, or outcome that an action, event, or other factor has in the scenario.” This definition encompasses not only the ultimate state of a scenario but also intermediate outcomes. The LLM was instructed to extract distinct impacts, with each impact represented by a one-sentence description and a short label. For instance, one impact could be described as, “The proliferation of flawed AI systems leads to a compromised information ecosystem, causing a general doubt in the reliability of all information,” labeled as “Compromised Information Ecosystem.” To ensure the accuracy of this extraction process, a random sample of five scenarios was manually reviewed to validate the extracted impacts against the established definition. All extracted impacts passed the checks, leading to confidence in scaling the analysis across the entire dataset. This process resulted in the identification of 3,445 impacts from the 852 scenarios. AI’s Impact on Future Information Ecosystems A typology of impact types was developed based on the 3,445 impact descriptions, utilizing a novel method for qualitative thematic analysis from a Stanford University study. This approach clusters input texts, synthesizes concepts that reflect abstract connections, and produces scoring definitions to assess the relevance of each original text. For example, a concept like “AI Personalization” might be defined by the question, “Does the text discuss how AI personalizes content or enhances user engagement?” Each impact description was then scored against these concepts to tabulate occurrence frequencies. Impacts of AI on Media Ecosystems Through this analytical approach, 19 impact themes emerged, along with their corresponding scoring definitions: Interestingly, many scenarios articulated themes around how AI intersects with fact-checking, trust, misinformation, ethics, labor concerns, and evolving business models. Although some concepts may not be entirely distinct, this categorization offers a meaningful overview of the key ideas represented in the data. Distribution of Impact Themes Comparing these findings with those in the OSF report reveals some discrepancies. For instance, while the report emphasizes personalization and misinformation, these themes were less prevalent in the analyzed scenarios. Moreover, themes such as the rise of AI agents and audience fragmentation were mentioned but did not cluster significantly in the analysis. To capture potentially interesting but less prevalent impacts, the clustering was rerun with a smaller minimum cluster size. This adjustment yielded hundreds more concept themes, revealing insights into longer-tail issues. Positive visions for generative AI included reduced language barriers and increased accessibility for marginalized audiences, while concerns about societal fragmentation and privacy were also raised. Impacts Over Time and Around the World The analysis also explored how the impacts varied based on the timeframe selected by writers and their geographic locations. Using a Chi-Squared test, it was determined that “AI Personalization” trends towards long-term implications, while both “AI Fact-Checking” and “AI and Misinformation” skew toward shorter-term issues. This suggests that scenario writers perceive misinformation impacts as imminent threats, likely reflecting ongoing developments in the media landscape. When examining the distribution of impacts by region, it was found that “AI Fact-Checking” was more frequently noted by writers from Africa and Asia, while “AI and Misinformation” was less prevalent in scenarios from African writers but more so in those from Asian contributors. This indicates a divergence in perspectives on AI’s role in the media ecosystem.
With this integration, Carrington Labs empowers financial institutions to confidently manage credit risk while optimizing their Salesforce workflows—paving the way for faster decisions, deeper insights, and enhanced operational efficiency.
