The AgentForce World Tour 2024 in Delhi witnessed a keynote by Arun Parameswaran, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Salesforce India. He shared with the audience Salesforce’s approach to innovation, trust, and the transformative potential of AI in modern enterprises. Arun emphasized Salesforce’s commitment to its customers by ensuring that their investments in the platform are protected, regardless of technological shifts. “When you invest in a platform, it’s our responsibility to safeguard that investment,” Arun said. Salesforce delivers three updates annually, ensuring customers benefit from incremental advancements without having to start from scratch.
AI at the Core of Salesforce
While the industry buzzes with generative AI, Arun noted that AI is not new to Salesforce. “To understand where we are today, it’s worth looking at the evolution of AI. About 10 years ago, we began the journey with predictive AI. Fast forward to today, and our platform makes approximately 1.9 trillion predictions every day—yes, 1.9 trillion! It’s staggering to think about the scale of these predictions, most of which are generated on our platform. AI is not new to us. In fact, we established a dedicated research team about six or seven years ago, anticipating the emergence of generative AI. That foresight positioned us ahead of the curve. So, when the generative AI wave took off—spurred by tools like ChatGPT and the B2C craze—about 18 to 24 months ago, we were not caught off guard. On the contrary, we were already prepared.”
Arun highlighted the company’s unwavering focus on trust as the foundation for deploying AI. By addressing concerns like data security, bias, and hallucinations, Salesforce ensures that customers can adopt AI confidently. “we didn’t rush to bring AI to our customers. Instead, we took the time to ensure our approach was aligned with our core values. Trust remains our foundational layer, guiding every step of how we integrate AI into our offerings,” he said.
The Era of Autonomous Agents is Here, Says Salesforce
Discussing the evolution of AI, Arun noted the rapid transition from predictive AI to co-pilots and now to autonomous agents: “About 18 to 24 months ago, this entire AI frenzy began—and I call it madness because the hype was and still is, frankly, unbelievable. The hype cycle doesn’t seem to be slowing down. If we trace the evolution of generative AI, it started modestly, then quickly progressed to “co-pilots.” Suddenly, everyone wanted one, and every platform had a co-pilot feature.”
He described these agents as transformative tools that enhance productivity, streamline operations, and revolutionize customer interactions: “Now, we’re entering a new era—one defined by autonomous agents. This shift is poised to fundamentally transform how we interact with customers, engage with employees, and drive productivity and efficiency across the board. The possibilities are endless. I’m excited because I have an incredible team ready to demonstrate some of these advancements in action. Autonomous agents, compared to co-pilots, promise unparalleled automation, productivity, and efficiency. They’re set to redefine how businesses engage with their stakeholders for years to come.”
He also highlighted that the pace at which innovation was taking place was unprecedented: “Just recently, I was in San Francisco with a research team discussing what’s next. They’re already exploring the next wave of robotics. And of course, there’s AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)—the so-called “holy grail” of AI. While some predict we’ll reach AGI by 2030, let me share something interesting: 18 months ago, our futures team anticipated autonomous agents would arrive around 2027. Yet here we are in 2024, and they’re already a reality. So, when someone tries to give you a definitive timeline for AI advancements, take it with more than a grain of salt—perhaps a whole pillow of salt! The pace of innovation in this space is breathtaking, and it’s clear we’re only just getting started.”
During the keynote, Arun recounted a personal experience at Dreamforce, where he built an AI-powered lending agent without any prior coding experience. “I built a lending agent myself—and let me be clear, I’ve never written a line of code in my life. Yet, I was able to create agents using simple conversational English, fine-tune them, and refine my prompts. The incredible part is that this technology has made it so accessible that anyone in business can now harness its power just as easily,” he said.
Industry Transformation and Scalability
Arun highlighted how industries like healthcare and financial services are leveraging AI to tackle workforce shortages and improve efficiency. He challenged organizations to rethink traditional constraints, such as hiring physical employees for international expansion, by adopting AI-powered agents. “One of the key drivers of this shift is the pressure on certain industries, with healthcare being a prime example. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world—healthcare systems are overwhelmed. Doctors and nurses are stretched to their limits, and so much of their workload consists of repetitive, mundane tasks that don’t require human involvement. These tasks can be automated seamlessly today. The advent of AI agents is set to bridge this gap, alleviating the burden on overworked healthcare professionals while meeting the growing impatience and demands of the customer ecosystem,” he said.
Salesforce’s scalable infrastructure, powered by its Customer 360 platform, ensures businesses can meet peak demands seamlessly. “This is not a DIY project. Building at this scale requires deep pockets and a robust platform,” Arun remarked.
Looking Ahead
Concluding his keynote, Arun spoke of the relentless pace of AI innovation. He revealed that Salesforce’s research teams are already working on the next wave of technologies, including robotics and artificial general intelligence (AGI). “The pace of innovation is breathtaking. Timelines are shifting, and what seemed distant is now within reach,” he said.
