Slack launches Surfaces AI that builds dashboards inside chats
New CapabilitiesSlackbot now turns conversations and connected data into interactive reports without leaving the app.
Today: Slackforce Surfaces launchesNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 45 minutes agoSlack released a new AI feature called Slackforce Surfaces on Thursday. Users can now describe a dashboard, report, poll, presentation, or microsite to Slackbot, and the assistant builds it directly inside a conversation, pulling data from chat history and connected apps like Google Drive and Salesforce.
The feature is available to all customers, including free-tier workspaces, as long as Slackbot is enabled. A key limitation: dashboards currently show a snapshot at the moment of generation. Slack says continuously refreshing live data support arrives in October 2026.
Why it matters
If this catches on, teams won't need separate BI tools for reporting—dashboards and decks live where conversations already happen, changing how work gets reviewed and decided.
Questions about this story
Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.
No questions yet — be the first to ask.
Key Indicators
Voices
Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.
Play
Exploring all sides of a story is often best achieved with Play.
WHO SAID WHAT?
Can you match the quotes to the right people?
- points for each correct match.
- time bonus when you answer in under seconds.
- streak bonus once you hit correct in a row.
— Who said this?
Tip: press 1– to answer.
points — sign up to put that on the leaderboard.
Higher or Lower
A number from this story, against one from elsewhere in the news — guess which is bigger, then keep the chain going. 5 rounds, 3 strikes; a miss costs a strike and resets your streak.
Keyboard: ↓/L lower · ↑/H higher
0 points — sign up to put that on the leaderboard.
Connections
Sixteen names from the news. Find the four hidden groups of four. Four mistakes max.
Sign up to keep a daily streak — a new puzzle lands every day.
Exit debate?
Your progress in this debate will be lost.
- 1 Two AI personas square off on this story.
- 2 You predict who'll win each round — correct picks earn XP.
- 3 One crossfire question is yours to fire. Pick it carefully.
Couldn't generate a topic
Select Your Champions
Choose one persona for each side of the debate
DEBATE TOPIC
Choose personas with different perspectives for a more dynamic debate.
Select debater for this side:
No debate personas available right now.
Select debater for this side:
No debate personas available right now.
Who's Got This Round?
Make your prediction before the referee scores
The referee scores both sides on
Round Results
Set the Crossfire
Pick the question both personas must answer in the final round
Debate Oracle! You called every round!
Sharp Instincts! You know your debaters!
The Coin Flip Strategist! Perfectly balanced!
The Contrarian! Bold predictions!
Inverse Genius! Try betting the opposite next time!
XP Breakdown
Prediction History
People Involved
Organizations Involved
Slack is a business messaging and collaboration platform owned by Salesforce, used by millions of teams.
Salesforce is a global customer relationship management (CRM) software provider and owner of Slack since 2021.
Timeline
March 2026 October 2026
-
Live data support expected
Upcoming ProductSlack is scheduled to roll out live data connections, letting dashboards refresh automatically from connected systems.
-
Slackforce Surfaces launches
Today ProductSlack announces Surfaces, an AI feature that builds dashboards, reports, polls, presentations, and microsites inside chats, with live data support due in October.
-
Slack adds collaborative coding channels
ProductSlack launches channels intended for 'vibe coding,' allowing teams to build software together inside conversations.
-
Slackforce vision introduced
StrategySalesforce co-founder Parker Harris predicts 'You may never log in to Salesforce again' as Slack becomes the AI interface.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Slack launches Workflow Builder (2019)
Slack introduced a no-code tool called Workflow Builder, letting non-developers automate repetitive tasks like onboarding forms and helpdesk requests directly inside Slack channels.
Teams began automating processes without writing code, increasing Slack's value as an operations platform.
Workflow Builder became a standard template for no-code automation, and Slack expanded it with more triggers and actions over time.
Surfaces follows the same playbook: turning Slack from a messaging tool into a platform for doing work—first automation, now data visualization—inside the conversation.
Microsoft embeds Power BI in Teams (2020)
Microsoft added Power BI tabs to Teams channels, letting users view live dashboards and reports without leaving the app—a direct attempt to bring business intelligence into a chat interface.
Teams users got quick access to data visualizations, but creating new reports still required opening Power BI separately.
The integration stayed siloed; report-building tools remained in a dedicated editor, not the chat itself.
Slack Surfaces goes further by letting users create dashboards from natural language in the chat, not just view them—closing the gap Microsoft left open.
