Slack is rolling out a game‑changing add‑on called Slackforce Surfaces that lets teams generate interactive visualizations, surveys, presentations, and even microsites without leaving the chat window. By simply describing the desired output to Slackbot, the AI‑powered assistant pulls data from relevant conversations and connected services such as Google Drive or Salesforce, then builds a live, embeddable surface that can be shared, pinned, and commented on.
What Are Slack Surfaces?
Slack Surfaces are dynamic, shareable widgets that live inside a channel or direct message. They can display charts, tables, polls, or full‑screen dashboards that update in real time as the underlying data changes.
How It Works
1. Ask Slackbot: Type a natural‑language request, e.g., “Create an arcade‑styled chart of AI token usage this quarter.”
2. AI gathers data: Slackbot scans recent threads, files, and linked apps to locate the relevant metrics.
3. Surface is generated: The AI assembles a visual component that matches the description and posts it back into the conversation.
4. Collaborate: Team members can interact with the chart, filter data, add comments, or export the view.
Key Use Cases
- Interactive reports for weekly sales reviews.
- Live polls to gauge employee sentiment on new policies.
- Dashboard microsites that consolidate project KPIs across tools.
- Presentations that can be updated on the fly during meetings.
Benefits for Teams
Embedding data directly in Slack cuts down on context switching, speeds decision‑making, and ensures every stakeholder sees the most recent numbers. Because the surfaces are pinned to channels, new members can catch up instantly, and comments stay attached to the visual context.
Getting Started
To try Slack Surfaces, enable the feature in your workspace settings, then start a conversation with Slackbot using a clear prompt. The AI will guide you through any required permissions for linked apps, and you’ll have a live surface ready to share within minutes.
For a deeper dive, read the full announcement on The Verge.
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