Published - March 08, 2023 @ 2:39 AM (EET)

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Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, has been toying with artificial intelligence software for years. Now, the software giant is jumping on the AI bandwagon as it joins chatbot pioneer Open AI to provide "generative" AI tools across its software business.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based enterprise giant said it would incorporate what it is calling "Einstein GPT" to help salespeople, customer service agents, and marketers draft emails and generate customer-account information and computer code.

Although Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) did not disclose a specific launch date, the company sees Einstein GPT as an ingredient that will improve all its enterprise software apps, including Mulesosft, Tableau, and Slack.

Chief Executive Marc Benioff explained that the world is "experiencing one of the most profound technological shifts with the rise of real-time technology and generative AI." 

WHY IT MATTERS

As these models sometimes display incorrect information, however, companies that sell to big businesses and governments are proceeding carefully. In addition to human involvement, the company has narrowed the data that can influence answers.

In an interview, the CEO of Salesforce's Service Cloud business, Clara Shih, said,

"We're moving as quickly as we can without compromising the responsible, ethical approach."

Similar to Salesforce, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is trying to minimize the spread of misinformation as it brings AI features to its competing Dynamics 365 software. On Monday, Microsoft said that users can now join a waiting list for a customer service feature that automatically drafts email messages.

The move reflects a race among technology companies to equip their tools with generative AI and scramble to capitalize on the surge in interest after OpenAI's ChatGPT gripped the technology industry's imagination late last year.

Separately, Salesforce Ventures, the company's global investment arm, also launched a $250 million Generative AI fund that will invest in high-potential startups that will bolster the startup ecosystems and spark the development of responsible, trusted and generative AI.

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