Salesforce axed 4,000 jobs for AI, but CEO isn't sold
Salesforce just swapped out 4,000 customer support jobs for AI, but CEO Marc Benioff isn't convinced robots can do it all.
On a recent YouTube show, he said AI is great for efficiency, but "AI doesn't have a soul. It's not that human connectivity," and "Face-to-face communication will always be essential."
Despite all the automation, Salesforce actually plans to hire 3,000-5,000 new salespeople by the end of 2025.
Benioff's message at Dreamforce
Thanks to AI, Salesforce has cut its support costs by 17% and now handles about half of customer chats with bots.
Still, Benioff doubled down at the Dreamforce conference, pointing out how in-person connections at the event proved people can't be replaced.
This trend isn't just at Salesforce—companies like Microsoft and Meta are also using more AI while cutting jobs, but Benioff's message is clear: tech is powerful, but people are irreplaceable.