Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff: AI won’t replace … jobs and he is hiring them in thousands

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff insists artificial intelligence won’t eliminate sales positions, announcing plans to hire between 3,000 and 5,000 new salespeople as the company pushes toward 20,000 account executives by year’s end. Speaking in October 2025, Benioff emphasised that “face-to-face communication” remains essential in sales, stating that AI “doesn’t have a soul” and lacks authentic human connectivity. The billionaire tech executive’s stance comes despite Salesforce’s aggressive AI adoption across other departments, including customer service where the company cut 4,000 roles earlier this year.”We love AI, OK? But AI — it’s not the same,” Benioff told TBPN. “It’s not that human connectivity.”