Marc Benioff says Block's layoffs reflect company issues, not mass AI job cuts

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff pushed back on fears that AI will trigger large-scale white-collar layoffs, saying Block's recent decision to cut 40% of its staff reflects "that company has its own unique issues." He added, "These pronouncements of these mass white collar layoffs: I just do not see it." His remarks stand in contrast to stark predictions from some industry figures.

OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla has said AI could replace 80% of human work in the 2030s, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar roles. Benioff countered that AI can boost productivity without triggering sweeping job losses.

Salesforce itself has reduced headcount as it rolls out AI tools, cutting roughly 4,000 roles in September and conducting another round affecting fewer than 1,000 employees in February. Benioff said he had "reduced it from 9,000 heads to about 5,000" and moved more capacity into sales, noting he asked Ernst and Young, "What am I doing wrong?" and was told, "You're not doing wrong.

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