"Last fall, Salesforce debuted an AI agent so remarkably human-like it seemed like a vision from the future. In a sleek demo, the company showed how luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue was using Salesforce's new flagship AI software Agentforce to create "Sophie," a charming, patient customer service representative. A Salesforce executive dialed a Saks hotline, the chipper-voiced Sophie picked up, and then deftly recommended a sweater based on his order history and talked through shipping options."
"Soon after unveiling Agentforce, the Salesforce CEO wrote an essay in Time Magazine, which he owns, declaring that agents would unleash "a revolution that will fundamentally redefine how humans work, live, and connect with one another from this point forward." And he would lead this revolution, he boasted. In an interview with Business Insider around the same time, he said that Sophie was already live on Saks' website."
"In the weeks after Agentforce's debut, Salesforce's stock surged by more than 50%, peaking at an all-time high last December. But a year later, shares are slumping as competitors' stocks keep climbing higher. Some Salesforce investors, analysts, clients, and even employees say Benioff may have placed too many chips on a bet that is yet to pay off. Salesforce's public disclosures show that fewer than half of the company's 12,500 Agentforce customers are paying."
Salesforce launched Agentforce with a human-like AI agent demo called Sophie used by Saks Fifth Avenue. The CEO projected agents would transform work and connectivity and touted live customer examples. Initial market reaction lifted Salesforce stock dramatically, but shares later declined while competitors rose. Internal metrics indicate fewer than half of 12,500 Agentforce customers are paying, and a very small portion engage in high conversation volumes. Investors, analysts, clients, and employees express concern that the company may have overcommitted to a technology whose commercial adoption has not matched early expectations.
Read at Business Insider
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