Salesforce AI Jobs, Nvidia Microsoft Gains, Apple iPhone 17 Sales

The artificial intelligence landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with major tech players like Salesforce, Nvidia, and Microsoft seeing significant developments. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is navigating AI's impact by replacing 4,000 customer support roles with AI agents while emphasizing the continued need for human salespeople, stating AI lacks a 'soul' and the essential human touch for building relationships. Despite this, Salesforce is hiring thousands of new sales staff and aims to advance its Agentforce platform, though its cautious approach to AI integration, prioritizing ethics, meant it missed out on the 2025 AI stock rally. In contrast, Nvidia and Microsoft have seen substantial gains. The broader AI boom is driving tech stocks, though market sustainability is being questioned amid concerns of a potential credit crisis, despite isolated banking issues. Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max achieved record US sales, largely attributed to its AI features and a vapor chamber cooling system. OpenAI leads in consumer AI token use, processing 6 billion tokens per minute, while Anthropic leads in enterprise users. Meanwhile, Atlassian is acquiring DX and The Browser Company for over US$1.6 billion to boost its AI capabilities, aiming to regain investor confidence. The need for AI infrastructure, not just applications, is highlighted for the Global South, emphasizing connectivity and local knowledge. In data centers, in-system testing is crucial for extending device lifespan, and AI is democratizing knowledge, shifting value to human judgment and question-asking.

Key Takeaways

• Salesforce is replacing 4,000 customer support jobs with AI agents but hiring 3,000-5,000 new salespeople, with CEO Marc Benioff stressing the irreplaceable human element in sales relationships.
• Salesforce's cautious, ethics-focused AI integration strategy led it to miss the 2025 AI stock rally, unlike competitors such as Nvidia and Microsoft.
• The AI boom continues to drive tech stocks, but market sustainability is under scrutiny, with lingering concerns about a potential credit crisis despite strong earnings from major banks.
• Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max saw record US sales, with its AI features and vapor chamber cooling system being key drivers for consumers.
• OpenAI leads in consumer AI token usage, reporting 6 billion tokens per minute processed via its API, while Anthropic leads in enterprise users.
• Atlassian is acquiring DX for US$1 billion and The Browser Company for US$610 million to enhance its AI capabilities and address investor concerns about cloud growth and AI investment returns.
• The Global South requires investment in AI infrastructure, including high-speed internet and digital ID systems, to effectively leverage AI for inclusive growth.
• In-system testing is vital for extending the lifespan and reliability of devices within AI data centers, managing high utilization and demanding workloads.
• AI is democratizing knowledge, shifting the value proposition towards human judgment, critical thinking, and the ability to ask the right questions.
• AI-generated music is boosting old-school music sales, as digital download files serve as cleaner training data for generative AI systems.

Salesforce cuts 4,000 support jobs for AI, hires 5,000 sales staff

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced the company is replacing 4,000 customer support roles with AI agents. Despite these cuts, Salesforce plans to hire between 3,000 and 5,000 new salespeople to grow its account executive team. Benioff stated that while AI can handle routine tasks, human salespeople are essential for complex relationships due to the need for face-to-face communication. AI now handles 50% of customer interactions, reducing support costs by 17% since early 2025. This move reflects a broader industry trend of companies investing in AI while reducing certain job roles.

Dreamforce 2025: Benioff discusses AI adoption challenges

At Dreamforce 2025, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff declared the 'agentic enterprise' era but noted many companies struggle with AI adoption. He observed that innovation speed outpaces customer adoption, with many businesses needing to overhaul existing systems. Benioff highlighted Agentforce's growth since 2024, emphasizing its core role in Salesforce products. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei also spoke, stressing the continued value of human engineers even as AI advances. Despite challenges, Salesforce aims to advance its Agentforce platform.

Salesforce CEO Benioff: AI lacks soul, human touch vital for sales

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is navigating AI's workplace impact by replacing 4,000 support jobs with AI agents while emphasizing AI's limitations in sales. He stated that AI does not possess a soul and lacks the essential human touch needed for sales relationships. Benioff highlighted the importance of face-to-face connections, citing networking events as examples. While AI now manages half of customer interactions, Salesforce is actively hiring thousands of new sales staff, indicating a strategic use of AI for efficiency and human connection.

Salesforce CEO Benioff missed 2025 AI stock rally with cautious strategy

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's cautious approach to AI integration, prioritizing ethics and responsible AI, led the company to miss out on the 2025 AI stock rally. Instead of aggressive AI platform bets, Salesforce focused on integrating AI into existing products, which slowed market entry. While layoffs signaled AI commitment, they didn't immediately boost revenue, causing investor caution. Benioff emphasized 'trusted, human-centered AI' focusing on privacy and governance over rapid product launches. This strategy contrasts with competitors like Nvidia and Microsoft, who saw significant gains by focusing on compute and broad AI offerings.

AI boom continues but market questions sustainability

Tech stocks continue to climb, driven largely by the AI boom, with indexes like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite showing gains. However, the market is questioning the long-term sustainability of this AI surge. While companies are reporting strong earnings, the focus is shifting to whether this trend can continue. Concerns about potential credit crises and AI bubbles are present, though current indicators suggest isolated banking issues and that the AI market is not yet a full-blown bubble. Upcoming economic data, like CPI figures, will be closely watched for market direction.

AI bubble fears and credit crisis loom despite positive economic signs

Despite the S&P 500 Index nearing an all-time high, concerns about an AI bubble and a potential credit crisis persist. While the AI market shows parallels to past bubbles, leading companies like NVIDIA and TSMC are well-capitalized with strong business models and high demand. Recent banking issues with First Brands and Tricolor appear isolated, not systemic, with major banks reporting strong earnings. The US government shutdown adds uncertainty, but overall credit market deterioration remains limited. Investors are advised to monitor developments closely.

Atlassian acquires DX and The Browser Company to boost AI

Atlassian is acquiring engineering intelligence leader DX for US$1 billion and The Browser Company for US$610 million to enhance its AI capabilities. These acquisitions come as Atlassian's stock has faced pressure, with investors concerned about its cloud growth and the pace of AI investment returns. The integration of DX and The Browser Company aims to provide deeper insights into software development and improve user experience. Atlassian's ability to monetize these AI investments and demonstrate a clear impact on cloud growth will be crucial for regaining investor confidence.

Global South needs AI infrastructure, not just apps

Artificial intelligence offers significant opportunities for the Global South, but success hinges on building essential infrastructure, not just developing applications. While AI is transforming healthcare, education, and agriculture, poor connectivity remains a major barrier. Development institutions must invest in affordable, high-speed internet, digital ID systems, and payment networks. Funding AI research focused on local knowledge and languages is also crucial to address unique needs. By focusing on these foundational elements, the Global South can leverage AI for inclusive growth.

In-System Testing Extends AI Data Center Device Lifespan

In-system testing and monitoring are crucial for extending the lifespan of devices in AI data centers. High utilization and demanding workloads can accelerate device aging and increase failure rates. Siemens EDA's Tessent Division VP Nilanjan Mukherjee explains how designing in-system tests and optimizing monitoring data can proactively manage device health. This approach helps identify and address potential issues before they cause failures, ensuring greater reliability and longevity for critical AI infrastructure.

AI democratizes knowledge, shifting value to judgment and questions

Artificial intelligence is democratizing knowledge, making information once exclusive now widely accessible. This shift presents a paradox where value moves from information content to context, specifically in identifying unasked questions and exercising human judgment. While AI excels at providing answers, it cannot bear consequences, making human decision-making critical. Organizations must recognize that expertise now lies in asking the right questions and making informed judgments, rather than simply accessing data. This evolution requires rethinking the value of human capabilities in the age of AI.

AI artists drive surge in old-school music sales

AI-generated music is fueling a surprising increase in digital song sales, with artists like Unbound Music and Enlly Blue charting on Billboard. A key reason for this trend is that digital download files serve as cleaner source material for training generative AI systems compared to streaming data. Creators are using successful AI tracks to refine their own AI models, driving curiosity and experimentation. Genres like Christian and country music, where fans are more likely to purchase downloads, are seeing a notable impact from AI-enhanced music.

iPhone 17 Pro Max sees record US sales driven by AI features

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max achieved record US sales following its September 2025 launch, driven by strong demand for its advanced AI capabilities and features like a vapor chamber cooling system. Preorders and initial sales significantly surpassed the previous year's models, with the Pro Max variant showing a 25% increase in planned production. U.S. consumers are prioritizing premium devices, with the Pro Max's 12GB DRAM supporting on-device AI processing being a key draw. This success highlights a resilient premium market where AI innovation continues to drive consumer loyalty.

Alloy AI tool helps create product prototypes quickly

Alloy is an AI prototyping tool designed for product managers to quickly create realistic prototypes of new features. It captures any web page with a browser extension and uses AI to generate prototypes that match the existing product's design system. Users can describe desired changes in natural language, and Alloy generates updated prototypes. This tool aims to solve the problem of slow design processes and unvalidated feature ideas by enabling rapid testing and validation of concepts directly with customers.

OpenAI leads Google in consumer AI token use

OpenAI's platform is processing significantly more AI tokens for consumer use than Google, according to recent reports. OpenAI announced its API handles 6 billion tokens per minute, with ChatGPT reaching over 800 million weekly users. Google processes 1.3 quadrillion tokens monthly across all its services. While OpenAI dominates consumer token consumption, Anthropic leads in enterprise users, holding a larger revenue share. Tokens are units of data used by language models, driving AI economics.

Sources

• Salesforce cuts 4,000 support roles for AI but plans to hire 5,000 sales staff, says CEO Marc Benioff
• Dreamforce 2025: Reflecting on Benioff's AI Insights
• After laying off 4,000 employees for AI agents, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says: AI doesn't have a soul, it is not …. - The Times of India
• Marc Benioff: Why Salesforce’s CEO Missed Out on the 2025 AI Stock Rally
• Markets Brief: As Tech Stocks Continue to Climb, Is the End of the AI Boom in Sight?
• Fears of a credit crisis, AI bubble overshadow positive indicators
• Will Atlassian's (TEAM) AI Acquisitions Reshape Its Cloud Growth Story?
• Rails, Not Rockstars (SSIR)
• In-System Test For AI Data Centers
• What’s Your Edge? Rethinking Expertise in the Age of AI | MIT Sloan Management Review
• AI Artists Are Behind a Surprising Surge in Old School Sales — The Reason May Be Simple
• iPhone 17 Pro Max Hits Record US Sales with AI-Driven Surge
• SaaStr AI App of The Week: Alloy — The AI Prototyping Tool That Actually Looks Like Your Product (Not Some Generic App Builder)
• OpenAI Bests Google in Race for Consumer AI Token Consumption