Major Tech Company Halts Software Engineer Hiring Because “Artificial Intelligence Suffices”

• Salesforce announces a freeze on engineering hiring until the end of 2025 after a rise in team productivity thanks to artificial intelligence.
• The company recently recorded quarterly revenues of $9.99 billion, but this fell short of analysts’ expectations.
• The company’s CEO believes that artificial intelligence will shape the future of the workforce and contribute to a revolution in digital work.

Salesforce, the giant of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, has revealed a bold decision to freeze hiring in its engineering departments until the end of 2025, in a move that reflects a fundamental shift in the technology sector. CEO Marc Benioff announced this striking decision, attributing it to a 30% jump in engineering team productivity, thanks to strategic investments in advanced artificial intelligence tools for software development.

This announcement came during an earnings call following the release of the fourth quarter financial year results, where Salesforce recorded revenues of $9.99 billion, achieving annual growth of 8%, and net income rose to $1.7 billion compared to $1.4 billion in the previous year. However, revenues did not meet the company’s internal expectations or analysts’ forecasts.

For her part, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Amy Weaver, explained that this slight decline is due to the fact that the new Agentforce artificial intelligence application is still in its early stages, which led to cautious revenue expectations for fiscal year 2026, ranging between $40.5 and $40.9 billion, which is lower than the average analyst estimate of $41.35 billion. However, she predicted that the application would make a greater contribution to revenues during fiscal year 2027. She also pointed out that exchange rates and restructuring of professional services strategies also affected the company’s financial outlook