Artificial intelligence is already replacing certain jobs at technology companies, with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealing that the company has reduced its support staff from 9,000 to 5,000 due to the implementation of AI agents.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently appeared on business podcast The Logan Bartlett Show where he shared insights into how AI is transforming the workforce at the San Francisco-based software giant. Benioff revealed that Salesforce has cut its support staff from 9,000 employees to 5,000, bragging that AI has replaced the jobs of 4,000 Salesforce workers.
Salesforce’s AI agents, part of a platform developed by the company, are designed to provide customer service, support employees, and enhance overall productivity. These AI-powered agents can proactively handle tasks without constant human input, such as answering customer questions about pricing, generating marketing materials, and managing websites.
The reduction in support staff comes as Salesforce, along with other tech companies, has been slashing its workforce while simultaneously increasing investments in AI. The company stated that the number of support cases it handled declined, and it no longer needed to fill support engineer roles due to the efficiency gains achieved through its AI agent platform.
Benioff’s comments highlight the growing impact of AI on the tech industry, with companies rethinking the roles and responsibilities of their employees. As businesses seek ways to cut costs, AI is being promoted as a means to accomplish more with fewer people. In June, Benioff stated that AI is responsible for 30 percent to 50 percent of the company’s work.
Breitbart News previously reported on a Stanford study that added weight to the idea that AI is being used to replace entry-level jobs previously filled by college grads learning the ropes in corporate America:
The study zeroes in on occupations where AI can most readily automate tasks, including software development, customer service, translation, and reception work. Since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022, employment in these categories has softened, with the brunt of the decline falling on younger workers. For instance, the number of software developers aged 22 to 25 dropped by nearly 20 percent as of July 2025 compared to its peak in late 2022. In contrast, employment among workers aged 26 to 30 remained relatively flat, while older workers continued to see headcount growth in the same fields.
Stanford economist Erik Brynjolfsson, one of the study’s authors, noted, “There’s a clear, evident change when you specifically look at young workers who are highly exposed to AI.” The research suggests that the decline cannot be solely attributed to broader economic trends, such as the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes or pandemic-related disruptions. Even after accounting for these factors, the data reveals a distinct AI-driven shift in the labor market.
While some tech executives have acknowledged that AI will replace certain entry-level positions, they also believe it will create new job opportunities. However, the rise of AI has sparked anxiety among various professions, such as screenwriting and coding, as it reshapes the workforce in cities like San Francisco.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has also expressed his expectation that the e-commerce giant will reduce its workforce as employees “get efficiency gains from using AI extensively.” Despite the potential for job losses, Benioff emphasized that humans will not be entirely replaced by AI, stating, “Humans are not going away. We are working in partnership with these agents, and that’s how I look at it.”
Research from McKinsey & Co. reveals that while nearly 8 in 10 companies have deployed generative AI, the same proportion reports “no material impact on earnings.” This is attributed to the limited deployment of AI in assisting sales, support, and other business tasks, as well as the thin spread of chatbot usage among employees.
Salesforce, however, has seen benefits from utilizing its AI tools. Benioff noted that over the past 26 years, the company had more than 100 million leads that it couldn’t respond to due to insufficient staffing. With the help of AI, Salesforce’s salespeople can now respond to more customers, and the company has a supervisor in place to facilitate collaboration between AI agents and human employees.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
Read the full article here