## Comprehensive News Summary: Salesforce CEO's AI Claims and Workforce Implications --- ### News Title If up to half of Salesforce’s work is being done by AI — what happens to half of Salesforce employees? ### Report Provider/Author * **Publisher:** Business Insider * **Author:** Peter Kafka ### Date/Time Period Covered * **Publication Date:** June 26, 2025, 18:05:54 UTC * **Content Context:** Refers to events and data from 2025, including Salesforce's employee count as of January 2025, stock performance in 2025, and February 2025 layoffs. ### Keywords Salesforce, AI, Layoffs, Tech --- ### Main Findings and Conclusions Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff claims that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now performing a significant portion of his company's work, raising critical questions about potential job displacement for its large workforce and the broader implications for the enterprise software market. The author expresses skepticism regarding the extent of Benioff's claims, suggesting they might be an exaggeration aimed at investors. ### Key Statistics and Metrics * **AI's Contribution to Work:** Marc Benioff states that "up to 50% of his company's work is now being performed by AI." In a recent interview with Bloomberg's Emily Chang, Benioff clarified: "AI is doing 30 to 50% of the work at Salesforce now" in "key functions. Like engineering, coding, support, service." * **Salesforce Employee Count:** As of **January 2025**, Salesforce reported employing **76,453 people**. * **Salesforce Stock Performance:** Salesforce stock has been "pushed down more than 18% in 2025." * **Recent Layoffs:** In **February** (implied 2025), Salesforce announced it was "letting go of about 1,000 workers," while simultaneously hiring for roles related to its new AI products. ### Notable Risks or Concerns * **Potential for Mass Layoffs:** The most immediate concern highlighted is the implication for Salesforce's human workforce. If AI is performing up to 50% of the work, the "Big Obvious Question" is "What happens to half of Salesforce's 76,000 employees?" The article directly asks if "up to 50% of them get laid off." The author notes, "There's little debate anymore about the fact that AI will displace human workers." * **Market Demand Reduction:** A broader concern is that if Salesforce is automating a significant amount of work, its customers will likely follow suit. This could lead to customers having "less need for Saleforce's products," potentially impacting the company's revenue and market position. * **Skepticism Regarding Claims:** The author expresses skepticism about Benioff's "big claims," suggesting he is "a sales guy who loves big events, big buildings, and big claims." This exaggeration might be an attempt to "win back investors" given the company's poor stock performance in 2025. ### Benioff's Rationale Despite the potential for job displacement, Benioff suggests a positive outlook for human workers, stating, "I think all of us have to get our head around this idea that AI can do things that before, we were doing, and we can move on to do higher-level work." ### Unanswered Questions The author has reached out to Salesforce PR for comment on these claims and their implications and will provide updates if a response is received.
If up to half of Salesforce’s work is being done by AI — what happens to half of Salesforce employees?
Read original at Business Insider →Chief Correspondent covering media and technology Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says up to 50% of his company's work is now being performed by AI. Really?Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images AI is coming, AI is coming. AI is here.No, seriously: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says up to 50% of his company's work is now performed by AI.
Big Obvious Question: What happens to half of Salesforce's 76,000 employees?There's little debate anymore about the fact that AI will displace human workers.How many workers? That's another question.And here's an estimate from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: He says up to 50% of the work at his enterprise software company is now being done by AI.
That quote comes from a recent interview with Bloomberg's Emily Chang. And if that sounds like a number that invites some skepticism, you're not alone.For starters, Benioff is a sales guy who loves big events, big buildings, and big claims, so you might expect there could be some exaggeration going on here.
Maybe he's trying to win back investors, who have pushed Salesforce stock down more than 18% in 2025.Or, more practically, you might wonder what's going to happen to the 76,453 people Salesforce said it was employing as of January 2025 — should we expect to see up to 50% of them get laid off?(In February, Salesforce said it was letting go of about 1,000 workers, but also hiring people to sell some of its new AI products.
)Zoom out a bit and it's easy to see another problem for Salesforce — and many many other companies — if Benioff's claim is even close to true: If Salesforce is automating lots of work done by humans, then certainly its customers are, too — so will those customers have less need for Saleforce's products?
I've asked Salesforce PR to weigh in on this stuff, and will update if I hear back.Here, for the record, is the exchange between Chang and Benioff, which you can watch for yourself around the 12-minute mark:Benioff: I just had a meeting, coming from a meeting with my head of engineering, and we're looking at productivity levels — 30 to 50 percent, this year, in key functions.
Like engineering, coding, support, service.Chang: You're saying AI is doing 30 to 50% of the work?Benioff: AI is doing 30 to 50% of the work at Salesforce now. And I think that will, you know, continue. I think all of us have to get our head around this idea that AI can do things that before, we were doing, and we can move on to do higher-level work.
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