Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says Microsoft “repackaged OpenAI and dropped it into Excel” — Customers barely use Copilot, and that’s when they don’t have a ChatGPT license

In a recent episode of The Bartlett Show, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff expressed disappointment with Microsoft’s approach to the AI world, stating that “Microsoft has fallen short in this sphere.” Regarding their latest offering, Copilot, he suggests they have essentially taken OpenAI technology and integrated it into Excel.

As a devoted admirer, I must share my personal insights based on the CEO’s recent remarks. It appears that, from client interactions with Microsoft Copilot AI (through @tsarnick on X), it’s been noted that users aren’t experiencing a profound transformation as they had hoped. Benioff hinted at this by saying that, generally speaking, customers barely utilize Copilot, and this is particularly true when they don’t have access to alternatives such as ChatGPT.

On several occasions, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has voiced his criticisms towards Microsoft’s AI and Copilot initiatives. Last year in October, the executive expressed that Microsoft’s AI endeavors are doing a “great disservice” to the industry, likening Copilot to Microsoft Clippy, suggesting it doesn’t perform well or offer any real value. Interestingly, Microsoft later unveiled plans to integrate capabilities for developing autonomous agents into Copilot Studio, which could pose a challenge to Salesforce’s Agentforce after Benioff’s remarks.

Benioff boasted that Salesforce stands as the global leader in AI for enterprises, handling roughly “several trillion AI interactions every week.” He further stated that their product, Agentforce, embodies the true essence of AI, all while proudly showcasing the positive client testimonials they’ve received.

“This must be witchcraft, this is crazy with what’s happening with my customers right now.”

The executive implied that Microsoft’s announcement of Copilot agents suggests they are operating in a state of urgency or desperation, implying that Copilot has not been successful due to Microsoft’s inability to gather necessary data for creating effective corporate intelligence. On the other hand, Agentforce is known for its excellence in this field.

Redesigning Copilot as ‘agents’ by Microsoft seems like a desperate move. Let’s call a spade a spade—Copilot isn’t working out due to Microsoft’s inability to gather the necessary data, metadata, and robust enterprise security models to generate authentic corporate insights. This is why Copilot often provides incorrect information, leaks corporate data, and requires customers to construct their own Language Learning Models. Is Clippy 2.0 on the horizon?

Microsoft renaming Copilot as ‘agents’ sounds like a last-ditch effort. The truth is, Copilot’s not cutting it because Microsoft doesn’t have enough data, metadata, or enterprise security models to create reliable corporate AI. That’s why Copilot’s often inaccurate, leaks sensitive info, and forces customers to build their own learning models. Bring back Clippy 2.0, maybe?

Microsoft’s struggles with Copilot and AI

It’s intriguing to consider Benioff’s perspective given the reported troubles with Microsoft’s AI and Copilot, and if these issues are any indication, he might be onto something. A troubling report suggests that Microsoft relies on external vendors to integrate Copilot across its Microsoft 365 applications, as indicated by one of their employees.

There seems to be a disconnect between our lofty goals and the reality that users are encountering. We refer to this internally as our growing pains. Essentially, we’re learning and making improvements while we’re in operation.

It’s intriguing to note that a top Microsoft executive labeled most AI tools like Copilot as “flashy” in terms of their capabilities. Another team member pointed out significant concerns about security and privacy with Copilot, suggesting it has a tendency to share sensitive information, such as salary details, that customers might not want to disclose or believe they had safeguarded from the company’s employees. What makes this more alarming is that the team indicated it could take several years to resolve these issues.

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2025-01-13 13:19