Salesforce's Benioff Slams Microsoft's AI, While Skeptics Emerge
In a heated exchange at the World Economic Forum, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff criticized Microsoft's Copilot AI tool, calling it "just a repackaged ChatGPT." This follows Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's recent remarks questioning the future of business applications amid the rise of AI agents.
Salesforce's Agentforce AI bots, which handle customer queries and product descriptions, are competing with Microsoft's Copilot for workplace dominance. Salesforce reported closing 2,000 AI-related deals in Q3, including significant wins with FedEx, IBM, and Accenture.
However, skepticism persists. Guggenheim analyst John DiFucci downgraded Salesforce to "Sell," citing concerns about the monetization potential of Agentforce. DiFucci argues that Salesforce lacks the dynamic, context-rich data required for effective AI solutions.
Despite the surge in Salesforce's stock price since the launch of Agentforce, DiFucci's downgrade highlights the emerging debate over the viability of AI agents in the enterprise software market.