Slack introduced AI features in February 2024. Users could summarize threads, draft replies, and search through their messages, files, and channels. Slack AI search is a relatively new feature that allows users to ask questions in natural language and receive concise, context-aware answers based on content shared within their workspace.  

In this article, we’ll look at how Slack AI search works, what issues fast-moving teams may face, and introduce an AI communication tool, Tanka, that integrates with Slack and provides additional features.

Image source: Slack

Slack AI

Features

Slack’s key features are designed to improve collaboration and find information.

• Conversation summaries: Slack AI can generate summaries of channels, threads, and DMs to help you quickly catch up on unread or recent messages. Summaries can be scoped by time (e.g., the last 7 days) and include source citations.
• File summaries: Text-based files such as PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets shared in Slack are automatically summarized if everyone in the conversation has access.
• AI-powered search: Slack AI’s search allows users to ask questions in natural language and get concise answers. The search draws from conversations, files, canvases, and documents.
• Daily recaps: It lets users schedule daily summaries of selected channels.
• Huddle notes: During team huddles, Slack AI captures key points and topics discussed, then organizes them into a canvas, and shares them in the huddle thread. This helps teams document meetings without manual note-taking and keeps everyone aligned, even if some members are unable to attend the discussion.
• Multilingual support: Slack AI currently supports English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish for accurate summarization and search.

Read about Enterprise AI Chatbot: A No-Deployment Solution

How does Slack AI search work

Image source: Slack

Slack AI search finds information in content you’ve put in Slack:

• Messages from public and private channels, as well as direct messages you have access to.
• Previews from links shared in Slack conversations.
• Articles from Slack’s Help Center.
• Files you can access:
  
  • Slack-specific files (like canvases, snippets, and clips).
  • Files you or your teammates have uploaded (like PDFs or Word docs).
  • Files shared from tools like Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Box.

When you ask a question, Slack AI chatbot scans these sources to generate a concise answer. It also provides citations, allowing you to verify the original context if needed.

Read also: Enterprise Collaboration Platform

Why do teams choose Tanka instead of Slack AI?

Slack AI adds helpful layers to team communication — but it’s not always enough for organizations that rely on accuracy, memory, and context. Search results can feel hit-or-miss, especially when information is scattered across multiple threads and private channels. Summaries often skip important details, and huddle recaps may require manual cleanup to clarify key takeaways or next steps.

Additionally, Slack doesn’t offer a free trial, making it difficult to determine if the tool suits your team’s needs.

Dig deeper: Slack Auto Reply Made Easy with Tanka AI

Tanka fills these gaps. It’s a purpose-built AI messenger with long-term memory and precise contextual search — designed to retain knowledge across all your tools and conversations. Unlike Slack AI, it remembers decisions, tracks updates over time, and helps teams work without losing the plot. It also integrates with Slack, adding advanced AI features without disrupting your existing workflows.

Tanka can improve your communication and collaboration experience. It is an AI-powered messenger with long-term memory and contextual search that helps teams communicate productively and manage their knowledge base. It integrates with Slack to offer advanced AI features.

How can Tanka improve your experience?

Clear data practices and shared memory

While Slack AI offers limited transparency into what its models store or use, Tanka puts you in control.

• Tanka provides role-based access for team members.
• Features such as Co-memory and Team Wiki display what information the AI has stored and what is shared within the team.
• Tanka does not use user data to train third-party AI models. All messages are encrypted to support secure communication.

Instant Business Docs, Powered by AI Memory

Tanka helps you create AI-generated, ready-to-use business documents - like pitch decks, business plans, and more. No need to start from scratch, Tanka pulls key information from your chats and memory bank to instantly generate clear, structured, and professional content.

Knowledge that’s actually organized

Slack AI works well for fast chats, but struggles to manage persistent knowledge. Tanka’s Team Wiki gives your assistant structured context — from user manuals to onboarding docs — so replies are grounded in real information. Co-Memory ensures project discussions and files stay tied together, helping teams collaborate with shared understanding.

Search that remembers the full picture

Tanka is built for teams who need to find more than just recent messages. With long-term memory and a central knowledge hub, its search retrieves relevant results from past threads, project history, and documents — even across tools like Slack, Outlook, and WhatsApp. No more chasing scattered context.

Summaries that don’t skip the important parts

Slack AI’s summaries can miss nuance. Tanka builds summaries with full memory of the conversation — reflecting key decisions, repeated concerns, and relevant background. Teams stay aligned without needing to re-read everything.

Note-taking you don’t have to fix

Tanka automatically generates notes from group discussions that actually make sense later. It references past conversations, attached documents, and decisions stored in AI memory - so your notes are richer, clearer, and ready to act on. No manual cleanup required.

One AI, all your tools

Tanka goes beyond Slack. It integrates with multiple platforms — WhatsApp, Outlook, Gmail, and more — giving your team a single AI memory across communication channels. Everything stays connected and searchable in one place.

Made for global teams

Slack AI supports summaries, but not language gaps. Tanka supports real-time translation, helping distributed teams collaborate smoothly across languages and regions — without extra steps or tools.

Conclusion

Slack is a powerful tool for team collaboration, with built-in AI features that help streamline tasks and surface information quickly. Tanka takes it further with its long-term memory, cross-platform integration, and deep support for workflows and knowledge management.

By connecting Slack, WhatsApp, Outlook, and more, Tanka consolidates your team’s conversations, documents, and decisions into a unified AI-powered knowledge base. It understands, remembers, and grows with your team - so nothing gets lost, even as projects shift and people move on.

Unify your communication, stay in context, and move faster. Get early access to Tanka today.