On August 20, 2026, Slack announced Slack Code — a feature that lets you summon an AI coding agent straight from a chat conversation and work on code as a team, in full view of the group. It is an attempt to move programming out of a single developer's terminal and into shared company chat.
Key takeaways
- Slack Code embeds four agents in channels: Claude Code (Anthropic), Devin (Cognition), GitHub Copilot and Vercel's agent.
- Tagging an agent spins up a project-specific channel with code diffs, a live preview and a running plan.
- When the task is done the channel is archived as a searchable audit trail.
- Available on any Slack plan, but access to partner agents must be purchased separately.
How it works
Instead of opening a terminal, a user tags an agent from any conversation. The agent opens a separate code channel for that project, where the team can watch progress, steer direction and review the result. Dedicated tabs show code diffs, a working preview and the current plan. Once the task is finished the channel goes to the archive, leaving a searchable record of decisions.
| Agent | Vendor |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | Anthropic |
| Devin | Cognition |
| GitHub Copilot | GitHub |
| Vercel's agent | Vercel |
Multiplayer instead of a lone terminal
The difference from existing tools is the way of working. Claude Code, Devin or GitHub Copilot usually run in one person's terminal or editor. Slack Code moves them into a shared channel where the work is visible in real time. According to Katie Steigman, Slack's VP of product, that multiplayer aspect is a guard against AI slop — low-quality AI output — because everyone can see what you are doing.
Code is no longer the bottleneck. Ideas, taste, judgment, craft — those are the bottleneck.
Rob Seaman, interim CEO of Slack.
Context: Salesforce and a changing of the guard
Slack is owned by Salesforce. Seaman took the interim CEO role after OpenAI hired former Slack chief Denise Dresser in December 2025. Slack Code signals that the company wants to position the messenger as an orchestration layer for AI agents, not just a place to talk.
Why it matters
Coding agents matured faster than the way teams actually use them. Moving them into shared chat turns programming from a solo act into a collaborative one, with a visible trail of decisions. It is also Slack's bet on its own role in the agent era — as the place where people and agents work side by side, rather than each in a separate terminal window.
What's next?
- Slack Code is available on any plan, but companies must separately buy access to the partner agents (Anthropic, Cognition, GitHub, Vercel).
- It remains open whether OpenAI's agents — the company that hired Slack's former chief — will join the lineup.
Sources
- VentureBeat — Slack wants to drag AI coding out of the terminal and into the group chat
- Anthropic — Claude Code by Anthropic
