Dreamforce is Salesforce’s big annual event. In 2024, it brought together thousands of tech and business leaders in San Francisco, with many more tuning in online. It’s where Salesforce reveals its latest innovations, and this year, the focus was all about AI and the future of business. Dreamforce 2024 showed how AI is transforming how companies work, from new tools to platform upgrades.

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Let’s get into the five key takeaways from this year’s Dreamforce event.

#1 Agentforce: The Future of Autonomous AI Agents

The biggest announcement at Dreamforce 2024 was Agentforce. The new platform lets businesses build and use AI agents to handle customer service, sales, marketing, and more tasks. These AI agents can analyse data, make decisions, and take action, all without needing human help.

What makes Agentforce so powerful is how easy it is to set up. Businesses can create and customise their agents using low-code tools with just a few clicks. Agentforce is a game-changer for businesses, allowing them to scale their operations and improve customer service without extra work.

#2 Data Cloud: The Heart of AI Innovation

At the centre of Salesforce’s platform is Data Cloud. It powers all of Salesforce’s apps and is essential for innovations like Agentforce. Data Cloud processes trillions of records each month, making it one of the most powerful data tools in the world.

Data Cloud helps businesses pull together information from different sources, including audio and video data, giving companies deeper insights into customer behaviour. This unified data helps AI agents like Agentforce make smarter decisions and deliver personalised experiences.

For companies looking to harness the power of AI, Data Cloud is the engine that makes it all possible, allowing for real-time data processing and fast responses to customer needs.

#3 AI Collaboration in Slack

Slack has long been a go-to tool for team collaboration, but with Agentforce, it’s now even more powerful. At Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce showed how AI agents can work directly within Slack, helping teams get work done faster and more efficiently.

You can now interact with AI agents in Slack to pull data, answer questions, and complete tasks—all without leaving the platform. These agents can also work with third-party systems like Adobe and Cohere, making Slack a true hub for team collaboration.

New features like huddle notes and better automation tools make it easier to organise workflows and manage tasks, helping businesses streamline their operations.

#4 Salesforce Ventures Invests Big in AI

Salesforce is betting big on AI with a new $500 million investment fund, bringing its total AI investment to $1 billion over the past 18 months. This money will go to AI innovators like Anthropic, Runway and Hugging Face to help them grow and create new AI technologies.

Salesforce’s investment shows just how important AI is to the future of business. By supporting these AI companies, Salesforce is helping push the boundaries of what’s possible, making sure that AI continues to transform how businesses operate.

#5 Free AI Training to Close the Skills Gap

As AI becomes more integrated into businesses, there’s a growing need for people who know how to use it. To help with this, Salesforce is offering free AI training through its online platform, Trailhead, until the end of 2025. They are also opening in-person training centres in San Francisco and other global locations.

This $50 million initiative aims to prepare workers for the future by teaching them essential AI skills. By offering free training, Salesforce is helping close the skills gap and ensuring businesses can find the talent they need to thrive in an AI-driven world.

Salesforce is Leading the Way

Dreamforce 2024 highlighted how AI is changing the business world. From the introduction of Agentforce to the power of Data Cloud, Salesforce is leading the way in AI innovation. They’re making it easier for businesses to adopt AI, and their investments in AI training and technology show a commitment to helping companies stay competitive.

As AI continues to reshape industries, the insights from Dreamforce 2024 give us a clear picture of what’s coming next. Staying informed and prepared will be key as businesses navigate this AI-driven future.