Written by Rebeca Reza Montoya,
Aug 2, 2023
It has been a year since I joined the Salesforce Ecosystem, and despite the eventful past year, I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the big Salesforce events, Salesforce World Tour 2023, for the first time. The day was filled with action and had a lot going on simultaneously, making it a highly recommended experience for anyone involved with or interested in learning more about Salesforce.
Planning Ahead
The night before the event, I spent time bookmarking the sessions I wanted to attend and familiarising myself with the venue map. Since I had never been there before, I thought looking at the maps in advance might help me make the most of my time. However, in the end, it didn't prove to be as helpful as I had hoped.
Getting to ExCel London
Living outside of London, I'm not used to large crowds. As I approached the entrance of ExCeL London, a huge international exhibition and convention centre, it was evident that this event would be extremely busy, reminiscent of peak hours at a tube station. Making a quick stop at Starbucks for a drink, thinking I had plenty of time, turned out to be a mistake as the queues quickly built up. Lesson learned for next time: head straight in!
After waiting in the long registration queue, which was managed effectively, my goal was to attend the main Keynote. Although I couldn't secure a space in the main Keynote room, I watched it on the big screens in the Content Pavilion instead.
AI and the Main Keynote
The highlight of the event was the presentation on the popular and trending topic of AI, which was branded as Data + AI + CRM. I learned that while AI is not a new concept, Chat GPT has made it accessible to everyone as a platform. It was reminiscent of the popularisation of the Internet through Netscape Navigator back in 1995.
The main keynote focused on how Generative AI works, particularly Einstein AI. The process begins with a prompt, and for better results, adding context is crucial. It was emphasised that AI Cloud masks private data and is built on the Salesforce Trust Layer, ensuring that users need not worry about their data being misused. For more information, refer to the News & Article about AI Cloud. Additionally, Prompt Studio was introduced as a great tool for creating reusable response templates.
The integration of Einstein GPT with Slack for Sales reps and Service agents seems like a game changer in terms of productivity, enabling agents to be much more efficient and deliver excellent customer satisfaction.
One fascinating aspect is that Large Language Models (LLMs) learn from usage. The more you use AI Cloud and the more feedback you provide, the better the predictions become. That's the magic of it—it learns.
Fundamentally, data is essential for AI. Without data, there can be no AI. The exciting features of Data Cloud allow you to connect all your data streams—from Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud to external Snowflake—enabling you to map and centralise your customer data for a comprehensive view.
My Role in AI
It's all really cool, but I find myself wondering about the direction we are heading and the role I will play in this ecosystem. To be honest, I have already asked Chat GPT many things, and like you, I have been quite impressed with its capabilities. It has saved me a significant amount of time by quickly providing the information I need, eliminating the need to go through countless links. It is a powerful tool, but I also recognise the need to learn how to use it responsibly. Considering the time I have saved, I ask myself, "What will I do with this extra time? Will I relax and scroll through social media, or will I use it to learn more?" Let's be honest; sometimes, having more time leads to procrastination. These are all questions we should ask ourselves if we truly want to act in a productive way.
A great analogy shared by Mo Gawdat, ex-Chief Business Officer of Google, compared AI to a child. It comes to you, asking what you want it to do, and it learns from your guidance for the next time, shaping its actions based on your input. We are essentially preconditioning its mind.
The luminary keynote at the end of the event provided a golden closure as it made me contemplate the role I will play for future generations. Each of us has a 1% influence on how we teach AI models. So, how do you want AI to behave? Like a kind AI with good manners or like an authoritative machine? I invite you to reflect on this as well. Next time you interact with AI, consider adding a "Please" and "Thank you!"— just like Mo said, words that will never go out of fashion, even in this AI-driven world.
Key Takeaways
To help you make the most out of the event, here are my few takeaways:
- Get to the event early to familiarise yourself with the venue.
- Plan to attend two or three sessions that genuinely interest you. I know it's challenging because all the sessions look interesting.
- Arrive at the session queue 15 minutes early to secure a spot. Some sessions provide headphones, so if you miss out on those, it's best to forget about listening from the back.
- Swag disappears quickly, so if you want something, introduce yourself as a highly interested client/partner and don't be shy to ask for it.
- Watch out for the swag fans trying to get a Salesforce character teddy as a reward. If you missed it and really want one, you can always visit the Salesforce store.
- Food like canapés and salad pots are served throughout the morning on different tables, where you can help yourself. Drinks, tea, and coffee are also readily available. However, make sure to grab something substantial because, by 3 pm, you might start feeling a bit tired. Alternatively, there are plenty of food options available outside the rooms.
- Wear comfortable shoes, as you will likely surpass your daily step goals more than on an average day.
- Stay positive and enjoy the fact that you're not stuck at home in front of your computer but instead having meaningful human interactions. After all, it's meant to be a fun day.
And if you missed the in-person event, don't forget that you can still catch up on Salesforce+.
Thank you for reading, and until next time!
Useful links to learn more about AI:
https://admin.salesforce.com/blog/2023/build-your-admin-ai-skills-with-these-new-trailhead-modules
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/users/strailhead/trailmixes/be-an-ai-minded-admin
