Navigating the Future of AI-Driven Business: Key Takeaways from Dreamforce 2023

Hallo from NYC. It's been a full week since our BTS adventures at Dreamforce, Salesforce.com’s annual--and amazing--technology conference. It was a lot to take in, so here at last is my take on the innovations presented there and four broader implications for you, executives keen on leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your strategic planning.

Here goes!

I) The Strategic Landscape: Beyond the Salesforce Ecosystem

Dreamforce was a wild ride. But before diving into the specifics, I’d note Salesforce's recent innovations are not isolated developments. Rather, they are part of a larger trend in the business world: the integration of AI into core business processes and customer relationship management (CRM). And this trend is showing no signs of stopping – so it’s worth paying attention.

II) Einstein 1: More Than a Smart CRM

One of the highlights of the event was Salesforce's Einstein platform. This platform is an AI-driven CRM that’s designed to provide real-time, actionable insights on customer activity across the lifecycle. The new twist? It uses Generative AI to enhance both operational efficiency and the user experience.

So what?

AI-driven CRMs like Einstein 1 make data-driven decision-making more streamlined and more accessible for people to use in natural language. In other words: great for profits, and fun for us. And the platform's capabilities serve as a blueprint for how AI can be integrated into various business functions, from marketing to supply chain management..

III) Hyperforce: A Unified, Scalable Infrastructure

"Hyperforce" is SFDC's integration of many clouds under an single infrastructure. CTO's reading this post will notice that SFDC is doing this to further their multi-year transition to their own cloud infrastructure--probably just like you. Why are they doing this? This shift to the cloud should make easier for the Einstein platform to connect customer data sources in a way that will reduce implementation, integration and adoption hurdles for their clients. Ahaha.

So what?

Hyperforce is an illustration of a broader trend in business technology: the push for scalable solutions in the cloud that can adapt to changing business needs, quickly. It's not a new idea, but it's one that's being executed at speed across a variety of industries. Whoosh. So executives like us should consider how a unified, AI-integrated infrastructure could impact our own organizations, from reducing operational complexities to enhancing data security.

IV) AI Partnerships: Not Religious, but Agnostic.

Salesforce's strategic alliance with Google (and others) was on display at Dreamforce, and, if you looked closely, you could see that is designed to allow for the incorporation of Google's machine learning models into SFDC’s platform. This move is consistent with the Large Language Model-agnostic strategy SFDC outlined during its “AI day” in June.

So what?

This partnership illustrates one example of “LLM agnostic” tech collaborations aimed at enhancing AI capabilities while simultaneously being AI platform agnostic. In the case of SFDC, it’s BYOL…bring your own LLM. Want to use ChatGPT? Great. Want to use Gemini? No problem. What this means for executives: it's worth exploring similar partnerships that could bring complementary strengths to your AI strategies. Done well, this approach hold the potential to accelerate innovation and reducing time-to-market for new solutions.

V) Generative AI: A New Frontier

Nobody has a crystal ball, but Salesforce's focus on Generative AI (GAI) solutions—as well as those from other firms such as Microsoft, Adobe, Intuit, Google--will likely stimulate even more allocation of capital towards GAI investments in upcoming budget cycles across the S&P 500. Microsoft’s 365 Copilot announcement this week is the most recent current of this. Note that MSFT already has tens of thousands of enterprise users in their Microsoft365 Copilot "Early Access Program." Who can say what will happen when the offering goes "live" on November 1st.

So what?

While it’s true the timing and ability of firms companies to generate incremental pro?ts from GAI is unclear, beneath all the hype, it is becoming more certain that the potential benefits from using AI are real, as are the potential dangers for firms that chose not to. What this means for executives is we should closely monitor innovations in this field to understand how we can leverage Generative AI to gain a competitive edge. Whether we “believe” in GAI or not, it’s coming going to make a impact, and it’s likely going to do it sooner than we think. ?

IV. Change Management: The People Side of AI Adoption

As we look to the future, it's clear that change management will play a critical role in ensuring execution of any AI strategies happens effectively. Whether it's adopting new AI-driven CRMs, integrating multiple clouds, or forming strategic partnerships, we know that change management will be needed to align the workforce, build new capabilities and ensure successful outcomes.

More specifically, successful execution of AI strategies will be a function of E:AMC, where Execution is driven by Alignment, Mindset, and Capability shifts. This can include using technology more effectively to build communities around new initiatives; using data to identify and pursue high-value activities while navigating machine learning transformations; or inspiring the workforce on the benefits and potential risks of these technologies, ensuring that there is organizational alignment and movement.

Til slutt (In conclusion)

The future looks to be even more exciting than the present, and AI will be a big part of it. Dreamforce illustrated that meeting the future isn’t just about understanding AI. It’s about inspiring and educating people to USE it to drive sustainable growth and operational excellence. As always, I invite you to reach out for a deeper discussion on any of these topics, or to share your thoughts below.