Arguably the vendor with the most talked about agentic AI offering, Salesforce hit the ground running in the space. Now, Agentforce, the product described by Salesforce as its “digital labor platform”, has just been updated.
Agentforce 2dx comes with a host of new capabilities that embed the power of agentic AI into any workflow. In this article, we’ll explain those features, what the impact could be on customer value, and how it reflects on Salesforce’s position within the AI industry.
What to Expect?
“By extending digital labor beyond CRM, we’re making it easier than ever for businesses to embed agentic AI into any workflow or application to handle routine tasks, augment employees, and connect with customers,” said Adam Evans, EVP and GM of Salesforce’s AI Platform.
In a nutshell, Agentforce 2dx sees the technology expand beyond the reactive, where humans trigger outcomes, to the proactive, where changes in data cause them to occur autonomously. These proactive capabilities can be integrated into any workflow or data system.
This functionality is being delivered on the strength of a new Agentforce API which enables triggered actions to be integrated into backend processes and third-party apps and systems. Within Salesforce, these features are being delivered through Agentforce Invocable Actions, while the company has also released dedicated Agentforce embedding tools for dedicated applications including Slack and MuleSoft.
With the new updates, Salesforce is also providing users with a richer, multimodal experience. This is being delivered through several new features that specify and optimize how agent responses are delivered to customers, in context.
Beyond this, the update includes the release of various low-code and pro-code tools for agent prototype testing and configuration as well as Agentforce Developer Edition, a free developer environment for both Agentforce and Data Cloud. The new apps include AI Assist for development, configuration, and troubleshooting, Testing Center, support for CLI and VS code, a DX inspector, and Agentforce Interaction Explorer, for deeper analytics and reporting.
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Finally, Salesforce has launched AgentExchange, its dedicated Agentforce marketplace and community. AgentExchange is launching with over 200 partners and hundreds of “ready-made actions” that help organizations across many industries and sectors develop and deploy agents more quickly.
Customer Impact
The introduction of easier integration and orchestration will ultimately lead to more widespread and scalable deployments. This goes a long way to delivering the kind of company-wide digital workforce Salesforce has promised.
New testing tools and environments will lead to faster deployments, as will the introduction of Salesforce’s AgentExchange. As with any other marketplace, the availability of off-the-shelf templates and actions save businesses a great deal of time while boosting the presence and revenue of partners.
One company already heavily invested in Agentforce is the global talent provider Adecco Group. “Agentforce is completely transforming our recruitment process,” said Greg Shewmaker, Senior vice president of global operations and AI at The Adecco Group. “By automating resume screening and using AI to engage with millions of candidates, we can connect with every applicant and make sure they feel valued and informed.
“This not only improves the experience for candidates but also frees up our recruiters to focus on building meaningful relationships, all while boosting our efficiency and scalability.”
Closing Thoughts
While developments in agentic AI are coming fast, they tend to arrive as a steady trickle. That can’t be said for Salesforce’s updates to Agentforce.
The company was already steaming ahead with its agentic AI platform, but the breadth of improvements that Agentforce 2dx brings are groundbreaking. With these latest agentic AI enhancements, Salesforce has taken a leap, living up to the promise of an autonomous workforce.
While the shift from reactive to proactive agentic AI was certainly in progress, the combination of ready-to-use integration and orchestration tools and enhanced applications for faster testing, development, and deployment has supercharged the company’s position, and likely that of its customers.
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