Salesforce adds voice calling to Agentforce AI customer service software

Salesforce is launching Agentforce Voice, integrating advanced voice AI capabilities into its customer service software with customizable interactions and broad system integration, positioning itself within the expanding voice AI market. This strategic move comes as Salesforce faces significant investor skepticism, with its stock down due to concerns that generative AI could disrupt its core business, despite CEO Marc Benioff's reassurances. The initiative aims to bolster its AI offerings amid competition from new players like Sierra and address moderated investor enthusiasm for its existing Agentforce adoption.

Analysis

Salesforce (CRM) is expanding its AI offerings with Agentforce Voice, integrating advanced voice capabilities for customer service agents. This new feature, announced ahead of Dreamforce, allows for customizable voice interactions and broad integration with corporate phone systems from Amazon, Five9, Genesys, Nice, and Ericsson’s Vonage, aligning with the broader generative AI trend moving beyond text. This strategic move aims to capture a larger share of the evolving voice AI market.

Despite this product launch, Salesforce faces significant investor skepticism, with its stock down approximately 28% in 2025, contrasting sharply with the Nasdaq's 15% gain. This underperformance stems from concerns that generative AI could disrupt Salesforce's core business, as highlighted by Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.5 building a Slack-like app in 30 hours. RBC Capital Markets notes that investor enthusiasm for the existing Agentforce has moderated due to lagging adoption.

CEO Marc Benioff has publicly downplayed the disruptive risk of AI, asserting that business evolution is incremental rather than a "zero-sum game." However, competition is intensifying, with former co-CEO Bret Taylor's startup Sierra, valued at $10 billion, already offering similar voice AI agent capabilities. Salesforce's upcoming Agent Script software in November indicates further efforts to enhance its AI agent customization.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should closely monitor the adoption rates and revenue contribution of Agentforce Voice, given prior concerns about Agentforce's lagging adoption and moderated investor enthusiasm.
• Evaluate Salesforce's ability to differentiate its AI offerings and defend market share against intensifying competition from agile AI-focused startups like Sierra, which are also targeting the voice AI agent space.
• Consider the implications of the negative sentiment and stock underperformance, assessing whether current valuation adequately reflects both the potential of new AI products and the ongoing disruption risks to Salesforce's core business.