Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says AI won't kill entry-level jobs, announces hiring of 1,000 new grads and interns

Salesforce is hiring 1,000 new grads and interns to build AI systems, including for the company's Agentforce and Headless360 agentic AI platforms (systems that take autonomous actions based on goals).

Benioff's hiring push contradicts predictions that AI will eliminate entry-level roles. IBM similarly tripled hiring for entry-level jobs in February, betting that companies increasing entry-level hiring now will be most successful three to five years from now, according to IBM's chief human resources officer.

Job market data so far does not show mass unemployment from AI-driven cuts: employers added 178,000 jobs last month and unemployment dipped to 4.3%, though a National Association of Colleges and Employers report found only 11.4% of employers plan to decrease hiring, with just under 16% of those citing AI as the reason.