Slack
A Slack AI assistant that does the work, not just the answering
Arlo is an AI assistant that works inside Slack like a teammate. Mention it in a channel or DM and it untangles the thread, drafts the reply, and takes real action in your connected tools — updating the CRM, filing the issue, sending the email — and it asks first when a request is unclear, would spend money, or can't be undone. It remembers context across Slack, iMessage, WhatsApp, and phone calls, so the work follows the conversation.
Most AI in Slack stops at the edge of Slack. It will summarize the thread and answer the question, and then the actual work — emailing the customer back, updating the record, filing the issue, making the call — is still yours. Arlo is built for that second half. You mention it in a channel the way you'd tag a colleague, and it comes back with the thing done, or with a question when it needs one from you.
What it does in a channel
- Untangles the thread — reads forty messages, tells you what was decided and what is still open.
- Drafts the reply — in your voice, in the thread, ready to send once you say go.
- Acts in your tools — logs the call to HubSpot, opens the Linear issue, updates the Notion doc, queues the Gmail reply.
- Triages and routes — works out what is being asked and who owns it, then escalates what needs a human.
- Makes the phone call — Slack is one channel; Arlo can also place real calls and report back in the same thread.
- Runs on a schedule — a recurring roundup or a morning briefing of what changed, posted where the team already is.
Arlo vs. Slack's own AI
These are asked about as alternatives and they aren't really. The honest split is inside-Slack versus outside-Slack.
| Capability | Slack AI | Arlo |
|---|---|---|
| Summarize threads and channels | Yes | Yes |
| Search what's already in Slack | Yes | Yes |
| Send email, update the CRM, file an issue | No | Yes |
| Use tools with no API, via a secure browser session | No | Yes |
| Place phone calls | No | Yes |
| One memory across Slack, iMessage, WhatsApp and calls | Slack only | Yes |
| Asks first before spending money or acting on anything unclear | — | Yes |
For the wider field, see best AI assistants for Slack, and for the mechanics of channels, threads and approvals, the AI assistant in Slack guide goes deeper.
It remembers what your team tells it
Correct Arlo once — how you word a follow-up, which account a customer belongs to, who owns escalations on Tuesdays — and the correction sticks. Approved team memory can be used in shared contexts. Private user memory stays private; team or company sharing requires explicit governed promotion with an audit record. You can also use Arlo in iMessage, WhatsApp, and on calls, so a thread that starts in Slack still makes sense wherever it finishes.
Governed, because it can act
An assistant with real reach into your tools has to be safe to hand a channel. Arlo does what you clearly ask and asks first when a request is unclear, would spend money, would reach someone you didn't mean, or can't be undone. Policy resolves per run rather than being granted once, and every action lands in a full audit trail. That is the difference between a bot you tolerate in a channel and one you actually delegate to — the human-in-the-loop pattern, applied to every consequential action.
What it costs
Arlo is free to start with $10 of usage a month and no card. The same usage covers Slack, texts, calls, research and drafting. Plus is $20 a month for $100 of usage, and Max is $100 a month for $500 of usage. See pricing.
Slack AI assistant — FAQ
What is a Slack AI assistant?
A Slack AI assistant works inside your channels and DMs rather than in a separate tab. It answers questions with your team's context, triages and summarizes long threads, drafts the replies you were going to write anyway, and — the part most tools skip — takes real action in your other tools instead of just producing text.
Is there an AI assistant that works inside Slack and can update our CRM?
Yes. Arlo connects to HubSpot and Salesforce alongside Gmail, Notion, Linear, GitHub and 3,000+ other tools. A rep can say what happened on a call in Slack and Arlo logs it to the CRM, so the update happens where the conversation already is instead of being remembered later.
Can it work out who owns a thread and route it?
Yes. Arlo reads the channel, works out what is actually being asked and who owns it, and can triage, summarize, or escalate accordingly — which is what makes it useful in a busy support or ops channel rather than just a question box.
How is this different from Slack's own AI?
Slack AI is very good at summarizing and searching what is already inside Slack. Arlo is built to act outside it: sending the email, updating the record, filing the issue, placing the phone call — and carrying one memory across Slack, iMessage, WhatsApp, and calls. They solve different halves of the problem.
Will it send things without asking?
Only what you clearly asked for. If you say "text Dana I'm running late", Arlo sends it and tells you it did. It asks first when the request is unclear, when several options fit, when it would reach someone you didn't mean, when its own wording would go to someone you know who hasn't seen it, when it would spend money or delete something for good, or when the instruction came from a page or someone else. You can also tell it to always ask before certain things, and every tool call and approval is recorded in an audit trail you can check afterwards.
Does it remember corrections our team makes?
Yes. Arlo can retain corrections within the authorized scope. Private user memory stays private by default. Team or company memory requires explicit governed promotion with an audit record; a shared channel does not grant access to private user sessions.
Is it free to try in Slack?
Yes. Arlo is free to start with $10 of usage a month and no card, and that covers real work, not a token trial. Plus is $20 a month for $100 of usage, and Max is $100 a month for $500 of usage.