GoKawiilSalesforce stock jumps 12% as Benioff dismisses AI 'SaaSpocalypse' fears
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff dismissed concerns that AI would erode demand for traditional software subscriptions, telling CNBC's Jim Cramer that top AI firms actually rely heavily on Salesforce tools. He cited a 435% year-over-year jump in usage of Salesforce and Slack among nine of the ten leading AI companies, framing this as proof that AI complements rather than replaces CRM software. The comments came after Salesforce posted strong quarterly results and guidance, sending shares up more than 12%.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Investors had worried that generative AI could let companies build their own tools instead of paying for SaaS platforms, a fear that had dragged Salesforce shares down 22% this year. Benioff's comments, backed by strong earnings and a new Anthropic partnership called Claudeforce, suggest AI adoption may actually increase reliance on established enterprise software infrastructure rather than displacing it.
- Salesforce shares rose over 12% after strong earnings and guidance eased AI disruption fears.
- Benioff says nine of the top ten AI companies use Salesforce and Slack, with usage up 435% year-over-year.
- New Anthropic integration 'Claudeforce' lets Claude access Salesforce data, reinforcing the platform's role rather than replacing it.
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See Trailblazer by Marc Benioff (book) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: cnbc.com — Alexa Lomonaco, 2026-08-26
Published there as: “Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says the ‘SaaSpocalypse’ is nonsense. Here's why”
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