Salesforce, one of the leading global providers of corporate IT solutions, has announced a significant reduction in its workforce following the active implementation of artificial intelligence in its business processes. CEO Marc Benioff reported that the company has reduced its customer support staff from 9000 to 5000 employees, resulting in approximately 4000 job cuts.
This is reported by Finway
Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Staffing Policy
According to statements from Salesforce management, a key factor for the changes was the automation of a significant portion of tasks using artificial intelligence. The company has created a specialized platform called Agentforce, which allows for customer service through chatbots and automated systems. This has enabled a reduction in manual operations and decreased the workload on support staff.
“The implementation of artificial intelligence has allowed the company to operate with fewer specialists.”
Salesforce notes that due to these innovations, the volume of requests processed manually has significantly decreased, eliminating the need to fill vacant support engineer positions. At the same time, the company continues to position itself as a leader in the corporate use of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the role of innovation in enhancing efficiency.
Expert Reactions and Adaptation Advice
HR consultant Lori Ruttimann emphasizes that the impact of AI on the labor market is becoming increasingly noticeable across many sectors of the U.S. economy. She advises workers to develop new skills to remain competitive in the modern job market.
Analyst Ed Zitron believes that tech companies often use the topic of AI to explain layoffs that occur after a period of mass hiring during the pandemic. According to him, statements about increased efficiency are often aimed at creating a positive image of companies among investors. Zitron highlights that businesses are focused on increasing market capitalization, even if this leads to job cuts and potential declines in product quality.
It is worth noting that similar processes are observed in other global companies. For instance, Amazon recently offered employees the opportunity to change their job roles due to the implementation of the new AI robot Vulcan.