AI Unleashed at Dreamforce 2023

Every year Dreamforce excites, inspires, and guides us toward the future, and this year was no exception. With more than 1,600 sessions across three days, Trailblazers from all over the world gathered to hear what the future of AI + Data + CRM holds for us. 

Trailblazers from the APAC region were well represented, with over 25 speakers featuring across nearly 30 sessions.  

Dreamforce keynote – the AI revolution

Of course the main event was the keynote address, which kicked off with the big questions – if artificial intelligence is the wild west, then who’s the sheriff in town? 

Responsible innovation, paired with ethical use, was the focus of so much of what we heard. We’ve already mentioned the core elements of Salesforce – AI + Data + CRM. On the keynote stage, CEO Marc Benioff added an extra element to that trio – Trust. 

“We’re in this AI revolution – it’s going to impact who we are, it’s going to impact how we operate, but it’s also going to bring us back to our values,” said Benioff. 

He highlighted what he called the trust gap – 52% of consumers don’t believe AI is safe and secure. Public Language Learning Models (LLMs) are harvesting data from across the internet, warned Benioff, and they have set their sights on corporate data next. 

New AI capabilities in Salesforce

To combat this, Benioff announced the launch of Einstein 1 Platform, the new trusted AI platform for customer companies. All of the applications in Salesforce Customer 360 integrate with Einstein 1 Platform, built on the Salesforce metadata framework. Pairing with Data Cloud, it can access and provide real-time data, and allows you to build next-generation applications. Integrated, shared metadata makes Salesforce fast and easy to use, and allows you to create solutions once, and run them anywhere. And because they’re on the cloud, they update automatically. 

Ultimately, says Benioff, the AI revolution is a trust revolution. Parker Harris, co-founder and CTO, joined Marc on stage to discuss the Einstein Trust Layer. This unique technology ensures that customer data is kept safe and secure, meaning that Salesforce AI doesn’t have access to your customer data, no customer is shared with LLMs, and PII data is never compromised – what Harris calls ‘zero retention’. 

David Schmaier, President and Chief Product Officer, then took to the stage to talk about Einstein Copilot. Embedded into every app, Copilot lets you use natural language to interrogate your data, improve customer experiences, resolve issues faster, and grow your business. 
And if this powerful new technology sounds like something you need for your business – and we think it is – then we have some good news for you. Tableau and Data Cloud are now free to get started.

Asia Pacific Trailblazers

Dreamforce is truly an international event, and among the many speakers from all over the world, there were more than 25 speakers from across the region speaking in nearly 30 sessions. 

Among them was Cebu Pacific Air. Angelo Maria Berbano, IT Director – Airline Operations Systems, was there to share how the airline has automated its operations using Slack – saving an incredible 114,000 admin hours a year. 

“The number that isn’t out there, though, is the huge impact that this has had on our people. It just makes things easier for them, more efficient, and they’re able to do things faster,” said Berbano. “And you know what they say – happy people are productive people.” 

You can watch the story on Salesforce+.

And don’t forget Dreamforce: The Asia Pacific Edition. Join Leandro Perez, Vice President and CMO of Asia Pacific, as he talks to Salesforce leaders including Amy Weaver, President and Chief Financial Officer, and Paula Goldman, Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer. They’re talking about data, AI, and what the future holds for Salesforce and its customers. 

There’s more insight from Asia Pacific Trailblazers, too. Tune in to see Regional Salesforce leaders from across Asia Pacific also interview Trailblazers on the latest that’s going on in our region: 

• Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO, India, talks to Miling Nagnur, Chief Technology Officer at Kotak Mahindra Bank. They discuss the power of Dreamforce, customer experience, and the future of AI in India.
• Frank Filman, CRO Australia, speaks to Melissa Irwin, Chief Data, People and Sustainability Officer at Endeavour Energy about her first Dreamforce, and the company’s net zero efforts. 
• Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ASEAN, chats to Mac Munsayac, Vice President and Head of Customer Experience at Philippine Airlines about the company’s digital transformation, data-driven personalisation, and employee experience.

Plus, take a look at the playful game show ‘Who wants to be an Einstein?’. 

You can watch Dreamforce: The Asia Pacific Edition on Salesforce+.

The most sustainable Dreamforce ever

Of course, Dreamforce wouldn’t be Dreamforce without embodying each of the Salesforce values. Sustainability is the most recent addition to that list, and with every event, we’ve taken an extra step to making our work as sustainable as possible. This year, more than 74% of the structures used at the event have been recycled or reused, and 100% of the food packaging used across the three days was compostable. 

It doesn’t end with the physical materials at the event, though. There were dozens of sessions dedicated to addressing one of the most pressing issues of our times – climate change. 

As part of the Platform for Change series, Australian energy company Endeavour Energy took part in a session titled Tackle Climate Change at the Source. Guy Chalkley, CEO, presented Endeavour Energy’s context, values, and how it has embraced sustainable transformation.  

Chalkley was joined on stage by Melissa Irwin, Chief Data, People and Sustainability Officer at Endeavour Energy. Irwin expanded on the sustainability mission at Endeavour, and shared how others can take on the challenge themselves using Net Zero Cloud. 
Check out the full session on Salesforce+.