AI Future Lies in Autonomous Agents, Not LLMs, Says Salesforce CEO 

CEO Marc Benioff claimed that he believes the future of AI is in autonomous agents AI, not the large language models (LLMs).

In November 23, CEO Marc Benioff claimed that he believes the future of AI is in autonomous agents AI, not the large language models (LLMs). Speaking on The Wall Street Journal’s “Future of Everything” podcast, Benioff argued that we may be reaching the limits of what LLMs, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, can achieve.  

While LLM technology got a lot of hype in the past two years, Benioff pointed out that there is growing interest in autonomous AI agents. Benioff mentioned that while these autonomous agents AI did garner publics’ attention, the future of AI advancements truly lies in autonomous agents capable of performing tasks independently, according to CoinTelegram.  

“I actually think we’re hitting the upper limits of the LLMs right now,” Benioff said, adding that the public’s perception of AI is overrated and many started to believe that LLM technology is the alternative solution. 

Autonomous AI Agents  

 CEO Marc Benioff’s comments reflect a shift in public perceptions of AI, where autonomous agents’ potential to streamline business operations. The Salesforce AI tools lead this transformation to assist businesses with customer service and sales tasks. 

In parallel, companies like OpenAI are developing their own AI agents that can perform specific tasks like writing code or booking travel.  

“Autonomous agents have the potential to augment productivity, improve margins, and enhance customer relationships in ways that LLMs simply cannot,” Benioff said.  

Benioff cautioned against the exaggeration of the idea of AI that mainly came from films like Terminator and Minority Report, which portray the dystopian future of AI that plays a supreme role in society. 

“There are some people out there—so-called AI evangelists—who suggest that AI could cure cancer or solve climate change, but that’s a huge exaggeration,” Benioff said. “That kind of hype is misleading, especially for companies that could benefit from AI in more practical applications right now.” 

Benioff wants businesses to benefit from how AI can improve work, from automating routine tasks to enhancing customer interactions. The CEO also mentioned that the main goal of AI is not in replacing the role of humans, instead working alongside them.  

Looking at the Future of AI 

Benioff sees AI with optimism and practicality due to its transformative potential, despite being in its early transformative stages. The CEO argues that AI advancement’s future lies in autonomous AI agents revolutionizing industries by enhancing efficiency, automating tasks, and improving customer experiences.  

Industries must focus on practical deployment and how AI will empower businesses to optimize operations, boost productivity, and strengthen customer relationships, driving success in the digital economy. 


Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Tech sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.