The CEO who fired 4,000 employees and left half of the work in the hands of AI
Artificial intelligence is transforming the work world at an accelerated pace, and not always with easy-to-understand results. While some see it as a tool to boost productivity and innovation, others fear it is the precursor to massive layoffs and irreversible changes. The recent case of a renowned CEO who drastically reduced his staff is a perfect example of the excitement and alarm that AI generates.
A massive layoff that sets a precedent
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, surprised everyone by announcing the layoff of 4,000 employees from its support division, nearly half of the area. The measure was justified by tasks that were now mainly performed by AI.
According to Benioff himself, the decision helped reduce the number of unanswered customer requests, which had accumulated over 100 million since 1999. However, the news quickly sparked controversy: was it really a smart strategy or a hasty step with possible negative long-term consequences?
AI taking charge in customer service
Currently, half of Salesforce’s customer interactions are managed by AI, while the other 50% remain in human hands. The system is not perfect: it still requires supervision for complex tasks, similar to what happens with Tesla’s assisted driving systems.
To compensate for these limitations, the company has implemented a real-time monitoring scheme. The 5,000 employees who remain in the area now work as coordinators and supervisors, ensuring that failures do not severely affect the customer experience.
Despite the magnitude of the layoffs, Salesforce assures that customer satisfaction levels remain stable. Benioff considers it a surprising achievement, highlighting that 50% of the company’s total work now depends on AI, surpassing even giants like Microsoft and Google in this aspect.
When automation becomes a product
Salesforce’s movement did not stop at internal optimization. The company launched Agentforce, a service designed for other companies to also replace their support employees with AI agents.
However, this initiative fueled criticism. Many users believe that these types of solutions are accelerating a wave of technological layoffs that has already exceeded 100,000 in recent years. The situation has reignited the debate about universal basic income, with some analysts suggesting monthly payments to mitigate the impact of technological unemployment.
The Two Sides of Salesforce’s Bet
Salesforce’s bet shows the two sides of the coin: on one hand, the efficiency and capacity of artificial intelligence to solve historical problems; on the other hand, the social impact of thousands of lost jobs.
The Unresolved Debate
The debate is far from being resolved. While some celebrate the courage to experiment with new technologies, others see in these decisions the confirmation that AI could transform the structure of work faster than society is prepared to accept.
