Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:mi-vector / Getty Images
Apps
Biotech & Health
mood
Image Credits:mi-vector / Getty Images
Cloud Computing
mercantilism
Crypto
Image Credits:Sierra
enterprisingness
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Government & Policy
Hardware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
speculation
More from TechCrunch
case
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Podcasts
video
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
adjoin Us
We ’ve been hearing about former Salesforce co - CEO Bret Taylor ’s latest gig since he declare he wasleaving the CRM giantin November 2022 . Last February we get a line he was launchingan AI startupbuilt with former Google employee Clay Bavor . Today , the two emerge with a new colloquial AI ship’s company calledSierrawith some bold claims about what it can do .
At its heart , the new company is a customer service bot . That ’s not actually all that worldly concern - smashing , but the company claims that it ’s much more than that , with its software system going beyond being an extension of a FAQ page and actually taking actions on behalf of the customer .
“ Sierra agents can do so much more than just answer motion . They take activity using your system , from upgrading a subscription in your client database to managing the complexities of a furniture delivery in your fiat management system . agent can intellect , problem solve and make decisions , ” the company claimed ina blog post .
Having worked with big enterprisingness customers at Salesforce , Taylor certainly understands that issues likehallucinations , where a big linguistic process mannikin sometimes makes up an reply when it lack the data to answer accurately , is a serious job . That ’s specially straight for large companies , whose stigma repute is at stake . The company claim that it is solving hallucination issues .
At the same clock time , it ’s connecting to other enterprise systems to take on tasks on behalf of the client without humans being involve . These are both big brassy claim and will be take exception to pull off .
Some other startup working on this job let in former TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield winnerForethought , which has been work on this trouble since long before ChatGPT come along , and Ada , which launchedan AI client servicesuite last spring .
It makes sense that Taylor , who spent seven years at Salesforce , would be look at AI to solve customer trouble . Salesforce boughthis last company , Quip , for $ 750 million in the summer of 2016 . He rose through the ranks all the way to co - CEO before leaving to begin building Sierra with Bavor .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
They already have several big consumer blade using the initial version of the political platform , include SiriusXM , Sonos and WeightWatchers .
Bavor was previously at Google for seven years , where he was in charge of AR and VR , before link violence with Taylor , who also did a stint at Google in the other 2000s .
In addition to his day line of work running Sierra , Taylor is chairman of the board at OpenAI after previously help on the board at Twitter . He was dismissed from that situation when Elon Muskdissolved the boardshortly after taking over the ship’s company in October 2022 .
