Marc Benioff downplays software apocalypse fears: 'It may be eaten by the SaaS-quatch' (www.businessinsider.com)

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff reassured investors during the company's Q4 earnings call, dismissing fears of an impending "SaaSpocalypse" due to AI advancements. He emphasized that the software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector has historically navigated challenging periods and noted the increased adoption of AI agents as a driver for SaaS growth. Benioff highlighted the strong demand for Salesforce’s Agentforce platform, asserting that significant AI firms, including Anthropic, rely on Salesforce for their operations. This statement comes in the wake of rising concerns about potential market disruptions following Anthropic’s release of new AI tools, which negatively impacted software stocks like Salesforce and Asana. However, Benioff's positive outlook and the market's reaction, which saw Salesforce shares rise approximately 2%, suggest confidence in the resilience of the SaaS industry. He reiterated that complex software needs—particularly in sectors like HR and enterprise resource planning—cannot be addressed solely through AI, underscoring the continued significance of robust SaaS solutions amid evolving technological landscapes.