Marc Benioff wants us to believe that AI isn’t replacing jobs. Or maybe he doesn’t. Honestly, it’s getting hard to tell.
In a recent interview, the Salesforce CEO expressed concern over companies using AI as a smokescreen for mass layoffs. “I keep asking CEOs, ‘What AI are you using for these big layoffs?’” Benioff said. “And I think they’re just using it as an excuse.” Fair point — until you remember that Salesforce itself laid off 10% of its workforce just last year, paused hiring, and has leaned heavily into AI transformation as a path to greater efficiency.
So which is it? AI isn’t responsible for layoffs, or it is — but we should ignore that when it happens at Salesforce?
Let me be clear: I’ve been saying for a while that AI, at this stage, is much more co-pilot than pilot. It enhances human capabilities, accelerates output and decision-making, and reduces friction in work. But it doesn’t replace human talent — not yet, and not entirely. Still, the way some companies are using AI as a catch-all justification to “restructure” is disingenuous at best.
The Corporate AI Two-Step
Let’s be honest about what’s going on. Benioff, like many tech leaders, is trying to thread a very tight needle. He wants Salesforce to be seen as an ethical innovator — one that empowers employees, not displaces them. But he also needs to appease shareholders and analysts looking for margin improvements and productivity gains. And right now, the fastest path to those gains is AI-enhanced automation — and yes, that often means fewer people doing more work.
Salesforce is hardly alone. IBM, Dropbox, Klarna, Duolingo and countless others have all trimmed headcount, citing “efficiency” or “AI-readiness” as part of their rationale. These aren’t dystopian scenarios — they’re happening right now, in boardrooms where the shiny promise of AI lets companies justify hard decisions with less blowback.
But here’s the rub: Leaders can’t have it both ways. You don’t get to wear the halo of “human-centered innovation” while you quietly swap out humans for algorithms.
Smart People Figure it Out
Here’s a lesson I’ve learned in my own career — and one that’s been reinforced by mentors, friends and partners along the way: Smart people always figure out how to use new technology to make themselves more valuable. AI is no different.
Rather than panic over job loss, the opportunity right now is to upskill, experiment and lean into AI as a career enabler. This is especially true for SMBs, solopreneurs, and lean teams who can now compete with larger enterprises thanks to generative AI, intelligent agents and automation frameworks.
There will be one-person companies that generate seven-figure revenue using AI. There already are. We’re entering an era where scale is no longer reserved for the already-big—it’s becoming accessible to the clever and adaptive.
That’s what Benioff is trying to say, I think, albeit clumsily. The vision of AI as a tool for empowerment — not replacement — is a valid one. But it can’t be used selectively when convenient. If you’re going to evangelize AI as a productivity booster, you can’t ignore the very real workforce impacts when it suits your PR narrative.
Don’t Believe the Hype — Or the Panic
It’s easy to fall into either extreme right now: AI as savior, or AI as apocalypse. Neither is right. Yes, some jobs will change, some will go away, and some will be created. That’s how every technological revolution works. But the net impact of AI — at least in the near term — is likely to be more augmentation than annihilation.
What we need is clarity and honesty from our leaders, not mixed messages.
It’s fine for Marc Benioff to question AI-induced layoffs. But he also needs to answer how his own company uses AI to shape its workforce. If the goal is to create a more productive, empowered labor force, then let’s talk about how to do that, not pretend it’s already happening just because the press release says so.
As for the rest of us? We should neither run from AI nor blindly accept its consequences. Instead, we should find ways to harness it, shape it and use it to level up. Because the future doesn’t belong to those who fear change — it belongs to those who figure out how to ride the wave.
