Prabhu Ram, Vice President – Industry Research Group (IIG)

The emergence of transformative applications like ChatGPT, Copilot, Bard, Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly and others has captivated people worldwide, showcasing the immense potential of generative AI. These advancements, along with other technologies, hold the power to automate various work activities.

The profound impact of generative AI on productivity has the potential to contribute trillions of dollars to the global economy. However, the rapid pace of development in generative AI technology adds complexity to this endeavour. For instance, ChatGPT was released in November 2022, followed just four months later by the introduction of GPT-4, a significantly enhanced large language model (LLM). This exemplifies the rapid strides that generative AI has taken in a short span of time.

Anthropic, a startup specializing in generative AI, has significantly expanded the context window of its conversational AI chatbot, Claude. Initially capable of processing 9,000 tokens, Claude has now been augmented to handle an impressive 100,000 tokens. This enhancement enables Claude to theoretically absorb approximately 75,000 words in a single minute, akin to reading a novel and generating a comprehensive report on it within that short timeframe.

Google unveiled new generative AI-powered features, including the Search Generative Experience and PaLM 2, an LLM powering their Bard chatbot and other products.

Salesforce, a global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, has embraced generative AI as an integral part of its approach to empowering organizations and driving digital transformation. The potential for generative AI is significant in India, and Salesforce recognizes the growing interest and adoption of this technology among Indian businesses.

On the sidelines of the Salesforce World Tour Essentials India in Mumbai, I sat down with Deepak Pargaonkar, Vice President, Solution Engineering, Salesforce India to discuss how Salesforce is viewing Generative AI, and integrating it into its offerings.

In conversations with CXOs, including CEOs, digital leaders, and technology leaders, Salesforce has observed a widespread curiosity and eagerness to leverage generative AI in various ways. The concept of generative AI revolves around the ability of AI models to generate outputs such as text, images, videos, or other relevant content. Leaders across industries are exploring the use cases where generative AI can enhance their operations and improve productivity and efficiency.

Salesforce and AI

Salesforce’s AI journey in India started in 2016 with Salesforce Einstein. This AI solution utilizes customer data to enhance personalized experiences in sales, marketing, service, and commerce. It assists sales teams in product recommendations, lead prioritization, service case classification, and generating offers. Globally, Salesforce Einstein currently delivers over 210Bn predictions daily, and Indian customers actively benefit from its capabilities.

Salesforce’s Generative AI Play

Salesforce has introduced new generative AI solutions to enhance customer experiences and productivity. One such offering is AI Cloud, a suite of capabilities designed to deliver trusted, real-time generative experiences across all applications and workflows. Additionally, Einstein GPT, Salesforce’s generative AI CRM technology, enables the creation of AI-generated content for sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT interactions at scale. With Einstein GPT, users can seamlessly integrate OpenAI’s advanced AI models or their own external models into Salesforce CRM, allowing for content generation that adapts in real-time based on evolving customer information and needs.

The Emerging Use Cases for Generative AI

Amongst the most prominent use cases for Generative AI is within the service function, where businesses aim to generate personalized responses for customer complaints or create briefing documents for internal sales teams. By harnessing the power of generative AI, businesses can quickly generate context-specific content that is relevant and valuable for their specific needs. This leads to increased efficiency and improved customer engagement, as sales teams can access pertinent information and pitch products or resolve issues effectively.

The adoption of generative AI is not limited to a particular sector but extends across various industries. Financial services, automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, communications, and travel and transportation are among the leading sectors where mature conversations about generative AI are taking place. Even small and medium-sized enterprises, although curious about the technology, are beginning to recognize its potential and seek guidance on navigating the path to implementation.

Salesforce aims to democratize generative AI by simplifying its adoption for organizations of all sizes. They provide the necessary infrastructure, eliminating the need for businesses to invest in their own infrastructure. This addresses one of the key concerns for smaller enterprises. Salesforce also assists with capability building, offering guidance and support in understanding the technology, identifying use cases, and developing the required skills. By doing the heavy lifting, Salesforce empowers organizations to focus on the outcomes they desire, utilizing their existing Salesforce infrastructure and the trusted data of customers.

Exploring the convergence of Generative AI and Business Ethics

Ethics play a crucial role in the deployment of generative AI. Salesforce recognizes this importance and has established an Office of Ethics in AI to guide product development and ensure trust, safety, and security. Considerations such as personally identifiable information (PII) and consent from customers are central to responsible training of AI models. By adhering to defined guardrails and fostering responsible practices, Salesforce aims to address ethical concerns and promote a trustworthy and ethical approach to generative AI.

The Future Outlook

Looking ahead, the potential for generative AI in India is promising. As India embraces digital transformation, Salesforce aims to play a significant role in enabling organizations to harness the power of AI to improve their operations. The focus on generative AI will continue to grow, driven by the demand for enhanced development speed, creative output, and productivity gains. Salesforce is actively engaged in skilling initiatives to augment talent and foster digital literacy, empowering businesses to leverage generative AI effectively.