Salesforce Unveils Industry-Specific AI to Boost Adoption

Today, organisations across the globe are grappling with an unprecedented urgency to implement AI solutions.

The past year has seen a dramatic shift in AI capabilities and public awareness, largely driven by advancements in large language models and generative AI (Gen AI). High-profile launches such as ChatGPT have not only captured the public imagination but have also sent shockwaves through boardrooms worldwide, with executives now acutely aware of AI’s potential to disrupt industries.

However, this awareness has brought with it a set of complex challenges. Many organisations find themselves caught between the urgent need to leverage AI and the daunting realities of implementation. The costs associated with developing bespoke AI solutions are prohibitive for many, with some estimates suggesting that training a single advanced AI model can cost upwards of US$100m.

Adding to these challenges is the industry-specific nature of many business problems. While general-purpose AI models have shown impressive capabilities, they often fall short when it comes to tackling the nuanced challenges of specific sectors. Each industry has its own regulatory landscape, data structures and operational intricacies that generic AI solutions may struggle to navigate effectively.

As businesses globally grapple with these challenges, Salesforce has launched Industries AI, a suite of over 100 pre-built AI capabilities tailored for 15 specific industries.

The Industries AI launch addresses a critical challenge faced by many organisations: the need for AI solutions that tackle industry-specific problems without requiring extensive in-house development or large-scale investment.

“Our mission is to put powerful and practical AI in the hands of every worker in every industry so every organisation can start seeing tangible value from AI right now,” comments Jeff Amann, EVP & GM of Salesforce Industries.

Salesforce Industries AI to help address unique business challenges

With Salesforce reporting a 700% increase in the perceived need to deploy AI over the past six months, Industries AI is now embedded within each of the company’s industry cloud offerings, covering sectors from financial services and healthcare to manufacturing and the public sector. Each industry-specific AI capability is designed to address unique challenges, such as matching patients to clinical trials in life sciences or optimising inventory management in consumer goods.

For CIOs and IT leaders, the appeal of Industries AI lies in its promise of rapid deployment and immediate value. By leveraging pre-built prompts and industry-specific data models, organisations can potentially bypass the lengthy process of developing bespoke AI solutions. This could prove particularly attractive for mid-sized enterprises that lack the resources of tech giants but still face pressure to innovate.

The offering is underpinned by Salesforce’s Data Cloud and supported by the Einstein Trust Layer, addressing common concerns around data security and AI governance. This integration allows organisations to utilise their existing data and metadata within a secure framework, potentially lowering barriers to adoption for industries with strict regulatory requirements.

One of the more intriguing aspects of Industries AI is its foundation for creating industry-specific ‘Agentforce’ agents. These AI agents, set to be released across all industry clouds, promise to autonomously perform business tasks at scale.

Early adopters of Salesforce's AI capabilities include organisations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the United States Transportation Security Administration and AAA – The Auto Club.

The launch of Industries AI comes at a time when the broader AI landscape is shifting. With major players like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft pushing the boundaries of general-purpose AI, the success of Industries AI will likely depend on its ability to deliver measurable business outcomes and integrate seamlessly with existing enterprise systems.

Jeff Amann concludes: “With Salesforce, organisations of every size and every budget can now easily get started with AI capabilities that were purposefully designed to solve their specific challenges – whether it's helping banks resolve transaction disputes faster, care providers automatically summarise clinical notes, retail brands better manage their inventories and much more.”

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