Marc Benioff throws shade at Microsoft and Big Tech's massive AI spending
Feb 27, 2025 - businessinsider.com
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff criticized Big Tech companies, particularly Microsoft, for their heavy investments in AI and data centers, questioning the returns on these expenditures. Instead of building costly infrastructure, Salesforce is focusing on integrating AI into its existing products and leveraging the infrastructure investments made by others. Benioff expressed skepticism about Microsoft's AI-powered tools, labeling the company as a "reseller of OpenAI" and questioning their effectiveness in creating customer success through agentic AI.
Salesforce reported a fourth-quarter revenue of $9.99 billion, slightly below consensus estimates, leading to a 5% drop in its shares. Benioff emphasized Salesforce's goal to become the leading provider of digital labor, contrasting its strategy with that of competitors like Amazon and Microsoft, who are significantly increasing their AI-related capital expenditures. Despite missing revenue expectations, Salesforce is committed to enhancing its product line with AI without the financial burden of building extensive data centers.
Key takeaways:
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff criticized Big Tech's AI investments, questioning their returns.
Salesforce focuses on AI integration rather than building costly data centers.
Amazon and Microsoft are significantly increasing their AI-related capital expenditures.
Salesforce aims to be the leading provider of digital labor, challenging Microsoft's AI offerings.
