# Salesforce defends SaaS against AI apocalypse

> Marc Benioff argues AI agents won't kill enterprise software, pointing to 72% growth in agents built on Salesforce.
- Title: Salesforce defends SaaS against AI apocalypse · Adweek
- Summary: Marc Benioff argues AI agents won't kill enterprise software, pointing to 72% growth in agents built on Salesforce. Traditional enterprise software platforms…
- Keywords: salesforce, marc benioff, ai agents, saas, enterprise software, dreamforce, aiforce, crm platforms, ai disruption, software pricing, defends, against
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/media/marc-benioff-rejectssaaspocalypse-points-to72-jump-in-ai-agents-built-on-salesforce
- Author: Trishla Ostwal
- Published: 2026-09-17T15:21:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: salesforce, marc benioff, ai agents, saas, enterprise software, dreamforce, aiforce, crm platforms, ai disruption, software pricing
## Salesforce agents surge 72%
Agents created on Salesforce jumped 72% while agentic work units increased 90%, giving the company hard numbers to counter fears that AI will kill traditional software.

> I'm hearing crazy nonsense of SaaSpocalypse.
## Benioff rejects SaaSpocalypse
The CEO argues AI agents are not the end of software but the end of software that makes humans do all the work. He's defending the sector against Wall Street fears.

> AI agents are not the end of software but the end of software that makes humans do all the work.
## ROI remains the real test
Gartner analyst Nicole Greene warns that growth metrics don't prove agents generate real business results. Proving return on investment will be the next hurdle for Salesforce.

> For customers, AI economics matter almost as much as AI capabilities.
## AIforce changes the game
Salesforce introduced AIforce, a new interface layer that lets people interact with the platform through AI instead of traditional screens. This shifts the company away from selling software seats.

> We've had to throw away our price point, basically, and come up with a whole new pricing mechanism.
## Infrastructure and compliance matter
Regulated industries like finance and healthcare need HIPAA compliance and data encryption. Building this infrastructure from scratch would require enormous IT effort that Salesforce already provides.

> The notion of vibe coding critical SaaS infrastructure like Salesforce has not really panned out in the market.
## Salesforce serves all market sizes
Unlike competitors like SAP or Intuit that focus on one market segment, Salesforce serves small, medium, and large enterprises. This breadth requires different solutions for different customers.

> We have hundreds of thousands of customers, a million on Slack.
## Q2 revenue up 11% year over year
Salesforce reported second-quarter revenue growth of 11% and a 2.6 billion dollar gain on strategic investments, boosted by its rising stake in AI company Anthropic.
## Key takeaway

Traditional enterprise software platforms remain valuable because they provide the infrastructure, compliance, and security that AI agents need to operate at scale in regulated industries.