- Dreamforce attendees reported that older, cheaper AI models are adequate for everyday sales and customer service tasks.
- Executives acknowledged that while frontier models are advanced, most customers are still learning how to utilize existing technology.
- Tim Sanders stated that the majority of agentic outcomes are produced by last year's AI rather than frontier capabilities.
- Europe's central bank head highlighted the continent's absence from the AI safety debate and emphasized the need for Europe to develop its own AI technology.
- Margrethe Vestager co-authored a report advocating for Europe to build datacentres and develop its own AI to reduce dependency on external technologies.
- Europe has struggled to produce a Silicon Valley-scale titan like Apple or Google, contributing to its absence in the AI safety debate.
- Ursula von der Leyen plans to invite major frontier labs for discussions on how to support ongoing industry efforts in AI.
- Frederike Kaltheuner warned that Europe is dependent on US technology, which could lead to a sovereignty problem if not addressed.
At Dreamforce, the AI safety debate took a backseat as business leaders emphasized the effectiveness of existing AI models.
“It’s already hard enough to keep up,” said Alec Bronston from Spins, highlighting the challenges of adopting new technology.
Salesforce partners noted that older AI models are sufficient for sales and customer service, with Tim Sanders from G2 stating, “The majority of agentic outcomes aren't driven by frontier capabilities.”3
In contrast, Europe’s absence from the AI safety discussion has raised concerns about its technological dependency. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated she would “invite the main frontier labs for a discussion on how we can support ongoing industry efforts.”467
Margrethe Vestager warned that Europe must develop its own AI technology to avoid reliance on US and Chinese advancements.5
“AI threatens to accelerate a development already affecting Europe,” she said, emphasizing the need for resilience against potential AI crises.
Frederike Kaltheuner from the AI Now Institute expressed concern that doomsday narratives could push Europe towards dependency on US technology.8
“We are exclusively talking about AI in a very narrow, specific kind of way,” she noted, criticizing the focus on frontier models.
The EU AI Act aims to set safety standards but faces challenges in becoming a global benchmark due to compliance burdens and a narrow focus.
“The EU AI Act is not something that everybody else in the world feels constrained by,” said Georgina Kon from Linklaters.
“Salesforce customers say frontier models are 'way ahead' but most are still getting their feet wet, with agentic outcomes driven by last year's AI. Meanwhile, Europe's central bank chief warns the continent faces a choice between shunning AI or becoming dependent on US and Chinese tools.”
CNBC
The Guardian
