Imagine a well-organized library where everyone knows exactly where each book is. If AI agents are readers, Zero Copy is giving them the original book, instead of the librarian making copies for each person, saving time and resources.

Zero Copy is emerging as a critical enabler for AI agents to access and process data directly from diverse systems, without the need for costly migrations or inefficient duplication. In an era where the world is generating hundreds of zettabytes of data‌ — ‌the equivalent of 6.8 billion years worth of Netflix content‌ — ‌this capability has never been more essential.

Consider healthcare. To get a 360-degree view of the patient and provide personalized care, an AI agent must pull data from electronic health records (EHRs), lab information systems (LIS), CRM platforms, and patient vaccination records housed in external data lakes like Snowflake. Integrating data across disconnected systems involves huge IT projects spanning numerous teams and a plethora of technologies.

In fact, CIOs cite security and data infrastructure as top blockers to implementing AI and agents.

In fact, CIOs cite security and data infrastructure as top blockers to implementing AI and agents. Zero Copy solves those problems by simplifying data integration, reducing errors and security vulnerabilities that can occur when data is moved or modified, and maximizing existing data infrastructure investments. AI agents are then optimized to access data from various systems and sources on demand.

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How Zero Copy enables AI agents to scale and analyze trillions of records

AI agents need access to data and more importantly metadata, the “data about data,” so they can intelligently plan, reason, and act. Zero Copy allows AI agents to get access to all the metadata, including names, data types, semantics, and relationships across enterprise data silos without having to physically copy the data. As a result, AI agents can scale, access, and reason over massive datasets in near real time.

Zero Copy enables this by operating through intelligent mechanisms that determine where data resides and how best to access it:

• Query federation allows a single query to access and process data from multiple, separate systems without needing to copy it. An intelligent engine breaks down the query, sends relevant parts to each system (translating the query as needed), retrieves the results, and combines them into a single response. It’s like ordering meals from different restaurants with a single food delivery app and receiving everything in one combined order. A good query federation requires pushing down the right predicates (filters) down to the source system, which significantly reduces the amount of data traveling across networks, improves performance, and reduces costs.
• File federation allows AI agents to access and process data directly from external data lakes‌ — ‌without relying on traditional database queries or moving data across systems. For example, Salesforce enables this by supporting open table formats like Apache Iceberg, which provide a standardized way to define the structure and schema of data files. This structural metadata acts like a blueprint, giving AI agents the context they need to locate, interpret, and retrieve only the data that’s relevant for tasks like training, analysis, or automation. It’s like giving AI agents a well-labeled pantry: Instead of dumping everything onto a counter and sorting through the mess, they can go straight to the shelf, grab exactly what they need, and get to work.

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How CIOs can incorporate Zero Copy into their AI and data strategies

As CIOs develop enterprise data strategies to support AI and agent-based systems, there are four key considerations for integrating Zero Copy:

• Embrace data federation to maximize existing investments: Zero Copy challenges the traditional approach of centralizing all data through complex and costly “Extract, Transform, and Load” (ETL) processes. CIOs can leverage Zero Copy to directly access data in existing data lakes and warehouses without the need for duplication or migration. This strategy maximizes the return on prior investments in data infrastructure and reduces operational overhead associated with maintaining multiple copies of data.
• Address security and governance proactively: Integrating data across multiple systems necessitates a robust security and governance framework. CIOs should establish clear authentication and authorization mechanisms for accessing external data through Zero Copy. For example, Salesforce’s Trusted Services and Data Cloud governance provide data governance through centralized data management, new AI-based tagging, classification and policy-based governance, integration with quality controls, and privacy measures that comply with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. By using a unified metadata layer, CIOs and IT teams also gain more control and visibility over how data is used across the Salesforce Platform and applications.
• Ensure bi-directional Zero Copy capabilities: Zero Copy should also work bi-directionally, where AI-based insights and analysis done in the agentic system should be accessible back to the original external data sources without the need for traditional reverse ETL data integration processes. This enables consistent data views for both AI agents and employees across the enterprise, maximizing the benefits of unified data and insights.
• Evaluate the extensibility of Zero Copy: CIOs should consider how Zero Copy can unlock access to previously siloed data, maximizing their data assets and enabling a more comprehensive view of their business. An entire ecosystem has emerged around providing seamless data connectivity, underscoring Zero Copy’s relevance. Last year, Salesforce announced the Zero Copy Partner Network, a growing group of partners committed to providing secure, bi-directional zero-copy integrations for businesses to harness the true potential of a diverse but unified data landscape.

​How Zero Copy with Data Cloud unlocks AI agent potential

Zero Copy is a cornerstone of Data Cloud, which is deeply unified with the Salesforce Platform. Data Cloud unifies and activates real-time, unstructured and structured enterprise data securely, and bi-directionally across Salesforce, data lakes, warehouses, and business applications.

The unified view of the customer grounds agents built with Agentforce, Salesforce’s digital labor platform, enabling more relevant, accurate output and actions and analysis of data directly at its source. Whether the data resides in a Snowflake data warehouse, a Databricks lakehouse, a Google BigQuery instance, or an AWS Redshift environment, Zero Copy provides a seamless pathway for Agentforce to tap into these diverse data reservoirs and unlock the full potential of AI agents with more relevant, accurate output and actions. 

For example, FedEx plans to deploy Agentforce to lessen call center burden by enhancing self-service and information accuracy on digital platforms and creating a comprehensive online portal. FedEx will leverage Data Cloud to unify customer data and provide Agentforce with crucial insights for impactful outcomes. With Zero Copy, FedEx can act on external data like shipping data in Databricks directly within Salesforce without duplication, streamlining the process and enhancing conversion opportunities.

Heathrow Airport also leverages Data Cloud to combine millions of passenger records to establish a foundation for connected, AI-first experiences with Agentforce. Using Zero Copy technology, Data Cloud unified previously siloed databases and systems like Databricks, Microsoft Azure, and Smart IVR, avoiding duplication and ensuring accurate insights without compromising speed. 

Zero Copy is a CIO imperative to power the agentic AI future

As data sources, AI, and other technologies evolve, the ability to seamlessly integrate without the need for massive data migrations provides a significant competitive advantage. Zero Copy and data ingestion should work hand-in-hand, and organizations should choose the right model based on their performance and enterprise needs.

More information:

• Learn more about the Zero Copy Partner Network
• Read about the latest Data Cloud innovations and customer success stories
• Learn more about Data Cloud
• Explore Data Cloud Connectors
• Unlock business growth with Zero Copy