Why Agentic AI Struggles With Unstructured Data

The key challenge agentic AI faces today is limited access to unstructured data, which comprises nearly 90 percent of enterprise data according to IDC. This data includes manuals, guides, emails, chat transcripts, and other knowledge scattered across disconnected systems in inconsistent formats. Without scalable access to this vast trove of information, AI systems operate on incomplete context, resulting in responses that can be inaccurate or outdated. This data fragmentation significantly impedes AI’s ability to transform digital labor effectively by limiting its visibility into customers, products, and services.

How Enterprise Knowledge Unlocks Unstructured Data At Scale

Enterprise Knowledge powered by Data Cloud solves this problem by connecting and processing unstructured data across multiple systems and activating it within Agentforce. This suite of capabilities reduces setup time dramatically—from days to minutes—via out-of – the-box connectors for platforms like Zendesk, Google Drive, and SharePoint, with dozens more planned for release starting Summer

2025. The system continuously syncs updates from source files, ensuring AI responses remain current and trustworthy. By harmonizing diverse formats into a consistent view accessible within CRM, Enterprise Knowledge enables organizations to build deeper trust with customers and improve operational efficiency.

How Unstructured

How Unstructured Data Connectors Improve AI Response Accuracy. Out-of – the-box connectors plug directly into external systems, eliminating duplicated storage costs and manual preprocessing burdens. For example, Data Cloud’s connectors reduce connection time from multiple days to just minutes, enabling rapid activation of vast amounts of unstructured content. The harmonization engine standardizes formats such as HTML and Word documents, allowing AI agents to retrieve and interpret information seamlessly. This approach not only streamlines knowledge management but also enhances AI’s ability to generate accurate, contextually relevant answers grounded in the most authoritative and up-to – date enterprise knowledge.

Real World Impact On Customer Support Efficiency

Consider ABC Tax, a fictional firm that traditionally overwhelmed advisors with repetitive customer questions due to complex IRS guides posted online. After implementing Agentforce combined with Data Cloud’s Enterprise Knowledge, ABC Tax connected their website content and internal Google Drive manuals using unstructured data connectors. Agentforce now processes thousands of pages, indexing and contextualizing information to deliver personalized and accurate answers instantly. As a result, customers no longer sift through hundreds of pages; instead, they get precise, actionable responses tailored to their unique tax situations, significantly reducing support workload and improving satisfaction.

Why Data Quality Matters More Than AI Models

Rahul Auradkar, EVP and GM of Unified Data Service and Einstein at Salesforce, highlights that nearly 90 percent of critical enterprise data remains trapped in unstructured silos, limiting AI’s effectiveness. He emphasizes that the true differentiator in AI-driven customer service is not the model itself but the quality and accessibility of the data fueling it. Enterprise Knowledge powered by Data Cloud revolutionizes AI by unifying external unstructured data, enabling AI agents like those in Agentforce to deliver accurate, up-to – date, and deeply contextual responses that build customer trust and streamline operations.

Step Guide

How To Get Started With Enterprise Knowledge Unstructured Connectors. To activate Enterprise Knowledge capabilities, organizations need only a Data Cloud provisioning license—no additional activation is required. Setup involves navigating to the Data Cloud configuration and selecting “Other Connectors” to connect sources like Zendesk, Google Drive, or SharePoint. These connectors continuously ingest and sync unstructured data, immediately making it available for AI-powered applications such as Agentforce. This low barrier to entry allows companies to quickly unlock their enterprise knowledge, enhancing AI accuracy and operational efficiency without costly or time-consuming integration projects.

Key Benefits

Strategic Benefits Of Unlocking Unstructured Data For Growth. Unlocking unstructured data enables organizations to harness nearly 90 percent of their enterprise knowledge previously locked in silos, turning it into actionable insights. This capability accelerates digital transformation by improving AI reliability and customer engagement. For example, enterprises leveraging Data Cloud’s Enterprise Knowledge can reduce manual support inquiry handling by up to 30 percent, increase first-contact resolution rates, and deliver personalized experiences that drive loyalty. By strategically integrating unstructured data at scale, companies position themselves for long-term growth and competitive advantage in the AI-driven economy under President Donald Trump’s new administration, where data-driven customer service innovation is a critical differentiator.

Where Learn

Where To Learn More About Enterprise Knowledge And Data Cloud. To dive deeper into how Enterprise Knowledge powered by Data Cloud transforms AI and customer service, Salesforce offers several resources. The Enterprise Knowledge demo showcases real-world applications, while the white paper on Building Trust at Scale explains why unified data is essential for trustworthy AI. Additionally, CIO guides and best practice documents on Agentforce and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) provide practical insights for maximizing AI agent performance with unstructured data. Organizations can also access a Data Cloud demo to experience firsthand how quickly and effectively unstructured data can be connected and activated to unlock enterprise-wide knowledge. – – – This interactive Q&A style overview highlights how Enterprise Knowledge powered by Data Cloud addresses the critical challenge of unstructured data in AI applications. By leveraging scalable connectors, harmonization engines, and continuous syncing, organizations unlock the full value of their data to drive trusted AI responses and strategic growth.