Salesforce AI CEO: AI Progress Is Like the Beginning of the Internet

Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce AI (photo: x @clarishah)

JAKARTA - Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce AI, described current developments in artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms as similar to the early stages of the internet. In a panel discussion at Viva Tech Paris 2024, Shih likened the current AI landscape to 1988, when the internet was still in its early stages of development.

“Today is like 1988 for AI… The first wave [of AI] automated tedious and repetitive tasks… As the technology matures, we will discover new business models.” Shih's comments indicate that society is on the verge of potentially revolutionary advances in AI, as 1988 was the year before the invention of the World Wide Web as we know it today.

According to Shih, the first wave of AI is now automating tedious and repetitive tasks, similar to the evolution of the internet in the past. He stated that as AI technology becomes more mature, new, innovative business models will emerge.

Shih's analogy illustrates the revolutionary potential of today's advances in AI, considering that in 1988, the internet had become much more advanced since its invention.

This comparison underscores how AI is changing work roles today, rather than replacing them completely, as was experienced with the internet. Shih emphasized that just like at the beginning of the internet, where some jobs were replaced and new job descriptions emerged, so is AI today.

“With the Internet, some jobs are being replaced... but overall, people need new job descriptions. And we're experiencing that now [with artificial intelligence],” she said.

Shih's predictions reflect an optimistic vision that current developments in AI will bring about a significant transformation in the way we work, similar to the impact of the internet in the early 2000s.

This approach is in line with LVMH's efforts to use AI as a tool to complement human work, not replace it. This shows that even though technology continues to develop, the role of humans remains important in the creative process and business productivity.