Salesforce cuts 4,000 support roles for AI but plans to hire 5,000 sales staff, says CEO Marc Benioff
Despite the support job cuts, Salesforce is hiring 3,000–5,000 new salespeople, aiming to expand its account executive team to 20,000 this year.
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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is sending mixed signals on artificial intelligence’s role in the workplace. While the company recently cut 4,000 customer support positions, replacing them with AI agents, Benioff told the live YouTube show TBPN that AI cannot replace human salespeople, as it lacks the essential value of face-to-face communication and human connectivity.
Despite the support job cuts, Salesforce is hiring 3,000–5,000 new salespeople, aiming to expand its account executive team to 20,000 this year. Benioff explained that while AI can manage routine customer interactions, complex sales relationships still require the human touch.
The support role reductions follow September disclosures on The Logan Bartlett Show podcast, where Benioff revealed Salesforce had cut its customer support workforce from 9,000 to around 5,000 employees. AI agents now handle 50% of customer interactions, helping Salesforce reduce support costs by 17% since early 2025 and completing over one million customer conversations.
Benioff highlighted the importance of in-person engagement for sales, citing networking at Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference, where attendees connected in person at the St. Regis Hotel. The CEO maintained that human interaction remains irreplaceable, even as the company continues to deploy AI for efficiency.
The move reflects broader trends in the tech industry, where companies including Microsoft, Meta, and Google have laid off tens of thousands of employees while investing in AI. Customer service and sales roles are among the most vulnerable to automation. Benioff acknowledged this duality, describing the situation as “reality”, with AI eliminating some jobs while protecting roles that rely on human connection.
