How Salesforce Brought AI and Machine Learning Into its platform with Einstein

Intelligence was the talk of Dreamforce - Salesforce's annual tech conference in San Francisco this month - with the SaaS giant's latest announcement'Einstein' promising to bring complex data science techniques and predictive algorithms seamlessly into all of their cloud-based CRM products. Here's how Salesforce used a spending spree on artificial intelligence (AI) startups and talent to bring these smart features to customers, all without opening up their precious data. Before he went on an AI acquisition binge, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said there was anxiety within the organisation around applying predictive algorithms to customer data they can't see, because customers want to keep their data private and secure. Read next: What is Salesforce's AI powered Einstein product? When can customers try Einstein and how much will it cost?