Salesforce cuts 4.000 support positions: Its AI now handles 50% of inquiries and unlocks 100 million leads.

The accelerated adoption of the artificial intelligence in Salesforce This has led to a profound restructuring of its customer service. The San Francisco-based company has confirmed significant cuts to its support department, driven by the deployment of AI agents capable of resolving many of the queries previously handled by human resources.

In the words of its CEO, Marc Benioff, the organization has adjusted the support template from 9.000 to about 5.000 people, while automation already takes over half of customer interactions. The official message combines resource rationalization and internal reallocations, with an eye toward improve efficiency and commercial capacity.

What Salesforce has announced and how it affects employment

Benioff detailed in a recent interview that the company went from having only 5.000 support positions, an adjustment that is explained by the Adoption of AI agents that already handle approximately 50% of incoming conversationsThe other half remains in the hands of human specialists, who handle complex cases or those requiring judgment.

The manager stressed that part of the staff has been relocated to sales teams, with the aim of strengthening sales prospecting and distribution. Despite the cuts in this division, Salesforce remains one of the largest employers in the sector, with nearly 76.000 workers globally.

The company has also made public that it does not foresee any short-term increase its software engineering staff, relying on the productivity gains derived from its agent platform. This approach consolidates the idea that AI is becoming a key strategic lever within the business plan.

This is how AI agents operate in support

Salesforce has deployed its agent technology internally—under the Agent Force brand—in a “zero customer”, using it first at home to fine-tune products and processes. According to Benioff, the system has already managed millions of conversations, and satisfaction scores remain at levels comparable to those obtained by the human team.

To coordinate work between people and machines, the company uses a omnichannel supervisor which assigns cases, performs follow-up, and ensures that AI escalates to a human agent when it detects limits or ambiguities. This architecture allows automation to handle repetitive tasks while the human team focuses on higher-value incidents.

One of the most visible consequences is the ability to address a history of more than 100 million leads who, due to lack of time and hands, had not been contacted in decades. With the help of agents, Salesforce says it can now respond to each person that requests information, closing a long-standing commercial gap.

Strategy, costs and internal reorganization

In addition to the reduction in support positions, management has insisted on the optimización de costes To gain competitiveness, the use of AI agents, combined with the reassignment of functions, aims to reduce operating costs without sacrificing service quality, while freeing up capacity to boost sales.

Within the CEO's speech, the last few months are described as a period of intense changes where AI has taken a leading role. Benioff compares this model to autonomous driving: the machine handles routine tasks, and the human takes over when a problem arises that demands judgment or additional context.

The company admits that agents can't do everything, but maintains that the hybrid system is the best. balances efficiency and controlIn this context, the relocation of staff to sales seeks to convert operational improvements into real revenue growth.

Public debate and signs to watch out for

Although the adjustment is focused on the support area, the movement reopens the debate on the extent to which the automation replaces jobs versus the simple “scaling up” of human labor. In Salesforce's case, the net reduction in support coexists with internal reassignments, a formula that mixes cuts with talent mobility.

Industry analysts point out that it will be necessary to closely monitor whether the improvement in productivity translates into a long-term sustainable service and in a real commercial expansion. They also remember that public statements by CEOs require context: AI deployment is a product argument and, at the same time, a narrative for investors, so it is important to compare real advances in costs, quality and growth.

However, the company's messages leave a clear framework: less human volume in support, more emphasis on AI agents and an additional boost to sales. Management is confident that the mixed model will allow for better customer service, reactivate opportunities that were left unanswered and contain spending in the most labor-intensive area.

The picture that Salesforce paints is of an organization moving towards more automated support, with 4.000 fewer positions in the division, a portion of the team relocated, and 50% of interactions now managed by AI. The success of this commitment will be measured by its ability to maintain satisfaction, reduce costs, and convert operational momentum into tangible business.