At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, the workforce and his own leadership style. Speaking with characteristic enthusiasm, Benioff described AI as a force for productivity and innovation, challenging leaders and workers alike to adapt.
“I find that I am retraining myself,” Benioff revealed, explaining his personal journey with AI tools while crafting Salesforce’s strategic vision. “I’m using AI for the third year in a row to write the vision statement, values, methods, and measurements for fiscal year 2026. It advises me, compares my work to competitors, identifies gaps, and offers ways to fill them. It’s been amazing, but I’ve had to learn how to use it.”
Benioff also discussed how AI is reshaping Salesforce’s operations. He noted that the company’s AgentForce platform, deployed across its customer support system, has drastically reduced the need for human intervention.
“We get about 36,000 customer support inquiries every week. A month ago, 10,000 of those had to go to humans. Now, with AgentForce, only 5,000 require human input,” he explained.
The changes extend beyond efficiency. Benioff described visiting Gucci’s Florence call center, where AI augmented the team’s capabilities. He observed that integrating AI into their operations led to a 30% increase in revenue, as agents were empowered to upsell and deliver higher-value interactions.
Benioff emphasized that this transformation is just beginning and requires a collective shift in mindset. According to him, every profession — whether sales, marketing, or even radiology — will need to embrace AI. He stated that the global workforce must adapt to remain competitive, predicting a world where AI integration becomes standard.
Beyond Salesforce, Benioff pointed to broader societal applications of AI. He called for governments to adopt “agent-first” approaches to improve citizen services, suggesting that AI could resolve inefficiencies in areas like municipal operations and federal agencies.
“Every government could benefit by being more agent-first,” he said, adding that such transformations could enhance responsiveness and save costs.
Looking ahead, Benioff sees AI as central to Salesforce’s mission.
“I have hope that we’re taking every company and making them an AgentForce company,” he said. His optimism for the future of AI — anchored in its ability to augment human potential — continues to drive Salesforce’s push for innovation in the AI era.
