When someone on your team wants to bring an AI tool into Slack, you need to evaluate it before it touches company data. This is not about saying no. It is about knowing what you are approving.
This checklist covers the questions that matter most for IT and security teams reviewing AI assistants that connect to Slack. Use it in vendor calls, procurement reviews, or internal evaluations.
Data handling and storage
- Where is message data processed? In memory only, or persisted to storage?
- Is data encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest?
- In which regions is data processed and stored?
- How long is data retained after processing?
- Can your workspace request data deletion?
Why this matters: If the vendor stores your Slack messages, you need to know where, for how long, and under what conditions. “We don't store data” and “we store data encrypted with 30-day retention” are very different answers.
Tenant isolation
- Are workspaces isolated at the infrastructure level, or just the application level?
- Can data from one workspace ever be visible to another?
- How are API keys and OAuth tokens scoped?
Why this matters: Multi-tenant systems need real isolation. If your workspace data is in the same database as everyone else's without proper boundaries, a bug could expose it.
Model training and data usage
- Does the vendor use your Slack data to train or fine-tune models?
- Are conversations used for any purpose beyond responding to your request?
- Can you opt out of any data usage programs?
Why this matters: This is usually the first question leadership asks. The answer should be a clear no. If there are any exceptions, you need to know exactly what they are.
Access controls
- Can you control which Slack channels the tool can access?
- Can you restrict which integrations are connected to the tool?
- Is there role-based access control for admin functions?
- Can you revoke access and disconnect integrations at any time?
Why this matters: The tool should only see what you explicitly allow it to see. If it requires blanket access to all channels, that is a red flag worth investigating further.
Compliance and certifications
- Does the vendor hold SOC 2 Type II certification?
- Is the tool GDPR compliant? Does it support data subject access requests?
- Are there published security policies and incident response procedures?
- Is there a security page or whitepaper you can share with your compliance team?
Why this matters: Certifications do not guarantee security, but they show the vendor takes it seriously enough to undergo external audits. No certifications at all is a concern for any tool handling company data.
Vendor evaluation
- Is there a dedicated security contact or team?
- How quickly do they respond to security inquiries?
- Do they have a vulnerability disclosure program?
- Can they provide references from organizations with similar security requirements?
Why this matters: How a vendor handles your security questions tells you a lot about how they will handle a real incident. If they are slow to respond or vague on specifics, that pattern will continue after you sign.
For reference, Palfred's answers to these questions are on our security page.