Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Uses AI to Monitor Employee Conversations — And Your Boss Might Be Doing It Too: ‘Chilling’
Benioff reveals how the common workplace tool allows in-depth access.
Key Takeaways
- Benioff says he uses Slackbot to find out about company concerns and operational challenges.
- Many major companies also scan employee messages, leading some experts to express concerns.
If you’re venting to co-workers about your workplace frustrations, you should probably take it offline. Or at least off the company Slack channel.
Although Slack workspace owners or administrators accessing private messages on the platform is nothing new, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff just revealed how he uses the AI tool, Slackbot, to scan conversations in an episode of the All-In podcast, per Business Insider.
The CEO, whose company acquired Slack for $27.7 billion in 2021, harnesses Slackbot to uncover company issues and operational opportunities.
“So, when I’m on Slackbot, I can ask it any question about my company,” the billionaire CEO explained. “What are my top five deals? What are my employees upset about? What are the top three things I need to focus on?”
Salesforce isn’t alone in its AI-driven monitoring of employees in company workspaces. Microsoft has embedded Copilot across its digital suite, and Google has done similarly with Gemini.
Additionally, major U.S. companies, including Walmart, Delta Air Lines, T-Mobile, Chevron and Starbucks, have used the AI firm Aware to analyze employee messages, CNBC reported.
Speaking broadly about AI’s impact on employee surveillance, Amba Kak, executive director of the AI Now Institute at New York University, expressed her concerns to the outlet.
“It results in a chilling effect on what people are saying in the workplace,” Kak said. She noted that the Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have all shared apprehensions about the technology at large. “These are as much worker rights issues as they are privacy issues.”
Key Takeaways
- Benioff says he uses Slackbot to find out about company concerns and operational challenges.
- Many major companies also scan employee messages, leading some experts to express concerns.
If you’re venting to co-workers about your workplace frustrations, you should probably take it offline. Or at least off the company Slack channel.
Although Slack workspace owners or administrators accessing private messages on the platform is nothing new, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff just revealed how he uses the AI tool, Slackbot, to scan conversations in an episode of the All-In podcast, per Business Insider.
The CEO, whose company acquired Slack for $27.7 billion in 2021, harnesses Slackbot to uncover company issues and operational opportunities.
