fb777 030

If Don Draper from “Mad Men” was quintessentially, at his deepest self, an ad man, then Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is likewise a sales guy. Lately he’s been selling — or more like singing the gospel — about AI agents and Salesforce’s recently released agent-maker platform, Agentforce. It’s true that Benioff famously gets hyped about all of Salesforce’s latest offerings, but on Tuesday, as part of the company’s latest quarterly results , he also released numbers to back up why he’s so excited. Benioff said that Salesforce closed 200 deals for Agentforce in just one quarter and that it plans to hire 1,400 salespeople to help it close the many more deals it is working on. Agentforce “just became available on October 24th, and we’re already seeing this incredible velocity, more than 200 Agentforce deals just in Q3,” Benioff told analysts on the quarterly conference call . “The pipeline is in the thousands for potential transactions that are coming up in future quarters.” He named FedEx, Adecco, Accenture, ACE Hardware, IBM, and RBC Wealth Management as Agentforce customers. The company said it now expects to bring in more revenue for its fiscal year than it previously projected, too, $37.8 to $38 billion, which will be up 8% to 9% over its previous year, largely on the strength of its AI products. Benioff recently told TechCrunch that he expects Salesforce customers to deploy one billion AI agents within the next year and that AI agents will allow companies to have an unlimited workforce. “These agents are not tools. They are becoming collaborators. They’re working 24/7 to analyze data, make decisions, take action,” he said on the conference call. “Salesforce has become, right out of the gate here, the largest supplier of digital labor, and this is just the beginning.” How much of this vision turns into reality we’ll have to wait and see. LLM-based tech is still working to solve its hallucination problem — an issue baked into a technology that is quintessentially at its core about imitating creativity. Benioff said on the call that because Agentforce can train on the up to 300 petabytes of actual company data Salesforce manages, “you’re going to see remarkably low hallucinogenic performance.” Other startups are working on other LLM issues necessary to turn AI agents into actual digital collaborators, like memory and state. But as we finish the year of AI , it’s becoming clear that enterprises have found a direction for their AI investments. After spending much of 2023 throwing around experimental budgets to answer the board-level question “what are we doing with AI?” the answer is apparently: AI agents for sales and customer service. It is interesting, and not without irony, that Salesforce will be hiring humans to help them sell this tech. Maybe that means that AI will create jobs, not just replace them. Maybe it means that even a company touting the rise of the digital workforce isn’t ready to turn over the reins entirely to software just yet. But it will also be equipping its sales humans with AI sales development representatives. As Salesforce COO Brian Millham explained on the call, “To capture this increased demand for Agentforce, we’re hiring 1,400 AEs globally in our fourth quarter and we’re also using new sales SDR agent and sales coaching agent to augment every seller.” Salesforce isn’t alone in chasing this killer enterprise AI app. Startups offering SDR technology have boomed in 2024, attracting lots of VC investment and a lot of initial revenue — the object of many an exploratory enterprise AI budget. But it’s an area where the incumbents that hold the customer data to train the bots have the advantage like Salesforce, HubSpot, and ZoomInfo. Ditto for customer service bots.NFL NOTES

California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Politico report became the biggest Democratic figure to openly oppose President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter. The president and the White House repeatedly rejected suggestions that Hunter Biden, who faced possible prison time for federal gun and tax evasion charges, would receive a pardon. The president on Sunday claimed, however, that his son’s prosecution was politically motivated and warranted his full forgiveness. The decision drew outrage from Republican lawmakers, who reviled the president’s broken promise. Newsom also expressed displeasure with the decision in a statement to Politico on Tuesday, saying he feels let down by Biden. “With everything the president and his family have been through, I completely understand the instinct to protect Hunter,” Gov. Newsom told the publication. “But I took the president at his word. So by definition, I’m disappointed and can’t support the decision.” The governor would not elaborate on the stance when pressed by Politico. Several White House spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests seeking a response to Newsom’s comments. Also speaking out this week about the pardon was Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. He also expressed understanding, but issued a warning about the potentially dangerous precedent set by Biden’s decision. “While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country,” he wrote via X. “This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation,” Polis added. “When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation. Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.” George Brauchler, who recently won the race for district attorney in Colorado’s new 23rd Judicial District, called for a stronger response from the governor. “’Disappointed’ isn’t nearly strong enough and does not address the lie POTUS told America, but this is at least something more than silence and much more than the justifications so many weak Dems have engaged in,” he said. Californians will elect a new governor in 2026 as Newsom reaches his term limit. Famed Olympian and media personality Caitlyn Jenner has teased running to fill the vacancy, while Politico reported Vice President Kamala Harris also has her eye on it.

MAPS IMPORTANT DEADLINE: ROSEN, SKILLED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages WM Technology, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important December 16 Deadline in Securities Class Action First Filed by the Firm – MAPS

New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers “absolutely” will remain the team's starting quarterback and start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times during the Jets' 3-8 start by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a torn left Achilles tendon, has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. The New York Jets are turning to one of their former general managers to help them find their next GM and head coach. The franchise announced Monday that The 33rd Team, a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, will assist team owner Woody Johnson in the searches. Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman, former GM of the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings, will be The 33rd Team's primary representatives in helping find replacements for former coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas. SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy made it through the session without pain and will rest on Tuesday and hopefully be able to return to practice on Wednesday as the Niners prepare to play at Buffalo this coming week. “We rested it throughout the weekend hoping that would help,” Shanahan said. “He threw lighter today to see if that rest helps and the rest did help him. So we’ll see again, going through the same things we did last week. We’re going to let him rest all the way up to Wednesday. We’ll see how it feels on Wednesday and then we’ll take the exact same course throughout the week. Hopefully it responds better this week than it did last week with the rest.” Brandon Allen went 17 for 29 for 199 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in his first start since the 2021 season. Allen would play once again if Purdy is unable to go on Sunday at Buffalo. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The NFL removed New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to participate in practice and play in the team’s games. Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the list on Oct. 9 after he was arrested and charged with shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her. The league said its review is ongoing and is not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status. Braintree, Massachusetts, police said they were called to a home for an altercation between two people on Oct. 7, and a woman told them Peppers choked her. Police said they found at the home a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine. Peppers, 29, pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class “B” substance believed to be cocaine. At a court appearance last week a trial date was set for Jan. 22. HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, coach Antonio Pierce said Monday. Minshew was injured with 3:12 left in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Pierce will have to decide whether Aidan O'Connell or Desmond Ridder will start Friday's game at Kansas City. The Raiders, who have lost seven consecutive games to fall to 2-9, could use a spark. Minshew's grip on the starting job was tenuous even before he was injured. He threw 10 interceptions to just nine touchdown passes this season and Minshew also lost four fumbles. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will practice Monday and “we'll see where he's at from there,” coach Doug Pederson said. Lawrence missed the past two games, losses to Minnesota and Detroit, with a sprained left shoulder. Lawrence had extra time to rest during Jacksonville's bye week. The Jaguars (2-9) host AFC South-leading Houston (7-5) on Sunday and need a victory to avoid being eliminated from playoff contention. Pederson said Lawrence is “feeling better" and they will know more about his playing status following practice Wednesday. Lawrence took a hit to his left shoulder while scrambling at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. Instead of sliding, he chose to go head-first and got hammered by linebacker Zack Baun. Lawrence has practiced some in a limited role since, but was inactive for both games. Get local news delivered to your inbox!"Some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that's underway in America, but nobody — nobody — can reverse it. Nobody. Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are enjoying its benefits." Still-President Joe Biden said that on a recent visit to Brazil. His administration's Inflation Reduction Act, for example, included $400 billion in subsidies for solar power, electric vehicles and other renewable energy technologies. Its goal is to slash carbon emissions, the main driver of climate change and the environmental chaos it unleashes.

Shocking Increase! Massive Moves in Semiconductor Stocks

Anti-fraud efforts meet real-world test during ACA enrollment periodMovie Review: Nicole Kidman commands the erotic office drama 'Babygirl'

Uwill Founder & CEO Michael London Named Innovator in Healthcare