Recently, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff discussed the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) in a podcast, expressing his excitement for the technology but also voicing concerns over its excessive hype.
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He pointed out that while everyone is talking about the potential of AI, there have been no significant breakthroughs in reality, such as curing cancer or addressing climate change. Benioff specifically mentioned that Microsoft's over-the-top promotion has led many businesses and users to have unrealistic expectations about AI.
At the recently concluded Dreamforce conference, Benioff enthusiastically promoted Salesforce's AI applications. However, in the latest podcast, he appeared particularly cautious. He mentioned that Microsoft's Copilot tool is not ideal in terms of accuracy and practicality, even comparing it to the early widely criticized "Clippy" assistant. He stated that many claims about AI are not true, such as the overly idealized promotion of "AI curing cancer."
Benioff referred to a study from Gartner, which indicated that only a quarter of pilot companies plan to roll out Copilot on a large scale. Although this figure is decent at this stage, it still shows the cautious attitude of businesses towards adopting new technology. He also mentioned a Forrester study commissioned by Microsoft, which found that Copilot provides limited benefits for small businesses, raising doubts about Microsoft's market promotion.
Nevertheless, Benioff acknowledged that current generative AI performs well in certain areas, particularly in AI agent technology. He mentioned Salesforce's Agentforce project, believing that within the next 12 months, Salesforce will have over 1 billion AI agents. He also noted that many other companies are making strides in this field, offering various AI solutions for customer service and sales support.
Overall, Benioff emphasized the importance of managing expectations when developing and promoting AI technology. He believes that while AI has great potential, it cannot yet replace human work, and users need to maintain a clear understanding of its capabilities.
Key Points:
🌟 Benioff believes AI is overhyped, with Microsoft bearing responsibility.
💡 Only a quarter of pilot companies plan to widely promote Microsoft's Copilot.
🤖 Current generative AI performs well in AI agent technology, with Salesforce set to launch over 1 billion AI agents.
