Software review agent

TL;DR: OpenAI’s agent Slate reviews software requests in Slack, checks policy, compares tools against an approved list, and auto-files Jira tickets for IT when license expansion is needed. ## What is Slate? Slate is an internal software-review agent built by OpenAI. Every time a request arrives, Slate invokes a predefined “skill” that encodes the team’s exact review playbook. The skill bundles all instructions, guardrails, and data sources the agent needs to reach a consistent, auditable decision. ## How Slate works ### Skills encode the process - Each skill is a packaged workflow that maps to a company policy step, e.g., “evaluate against approved-vendor list,” “check security tier,” or “file IT ticket.” - Skills are version-controlled, so policy updates roll out to every future run without retraining a model. ### Multi-system signal gathering - Slate performs live web research on the requested tool. - It queries an internal registry of already-approved software. - It cross-checks pricing, security certifications, and existing license utilization. ### Decision & routing - After scoring the tool against the criteria in the skill, Slate returns a concise recommendation. - If the request exceeds a license threshold or needs procurement review, Slate autonomously opens a Jira ticket with a clear next step and assigns it to IT. ## Live demo: requesting a video-recording tool 1. An employee posts in Slack: “I need a high-quality video recorder for demos.” 2. Slate wakes up, runs its “Software Review” skill. 3. Within seconds it: - Identifies three comparable approved tools already licensed. - Notes the requested tool lacks SSO integration, a hard requirement. - Detects that current license seats are maxed out. 4. Slate replies in-thread: “Recommend using Loom (approved). If you still prefer the new tool, IT must purchase 10 additional seats. Jira ticket REV-1822 created.” 5. IT receives the ticket with context, budget line, and approval chain pre-filled. ## Impact - Handles high-frequency, time-sensitive requests without human intervention. - Frees IT and procurement teams to focus on strategic work. - Keeps users productive by delivering an answer in minutes instead of days. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuzgusIxRzs