Salesforce first launched its AI platform, Einstein, back in 2016. At the recent Salesforce World Tour event in New York City this past May, the focus was on generative AI and the company’s Data Cloud—its proprietary data lake. Today, Salesforce revealed an exciting advancement in this journey with the launch of Einstein Studio and the "Bring Your Own Model" (BYOM) feature.
“We are introducing ‘Bring Your Own Model,’ which allows our customers to integrate their proprietary data into Data Cloud to build and train their own models,” said Rahul Auradkar, EVP & GM of Unified Data Services and Einstein. He emphasized that combining external models with Salesforce data in Data Cloud creates a robust solution.
This offering is specifically designed for organizations with advanced data teams that have been crafting models using platforms like Amazon SageMaker. These companies are now looking to leverage their previously built models in new contexts, and Einstein Studio provides the platform to facilitate that integration.
Einstein Studio serves as a management console within Data Cloud, enabling users to import existing models without the need for extensive ETL processes. This means clients can seamlessly incorporate their data without enduring the time-consuming tasks of extracting, transforming, and loading. This streamlined approach is particularly appealing to data teams, enhancing the solution’s attractiveness.
To kick off, the integration will support Amazon SageMaker right away, with Salesforce actively developing a pilot project for Google Vertex AI and plans to extend support to Databricks, Snowflake, and more in the future.
In addition to its built-in predictive models that identify potential customer churn, the Einstein Studio enables users to create tailored predictive models. These models can forecast maintenance needs or provide product recommendations based on individual customer interests.
Einstein Studio also leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to autonomously generate communication, such as sending reminders when a product is due for maintenance. To minimize inaccuracies (often referred to as 'hallucinations'), Salesforce connects these models to a graph database containing Salesforce data. This allows the LLM to access comprehensive customer information, leading to more precise and relevant email communications.
Once a model is imported, users can implement it within Salesforce workflows to generate insights or automate actions, such as email notifications—all while building on the groundwork laid by their data teams.
Einstein Studio, featuring seamless integration with Amazon SageMaker and the BYOM functionality, is officially available today.
Salesforce may be positioning itself as a leader in data solutions.