AI Agents Get a Reality Check: AT&T and Crocs Want Automation but Still Need Humans in the Loop

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang clashed over AI safety regulation at Salesforce's Dreamforce event, where Amodei advocated for independent evaluators to get permanent access to frontier models while Huang argued AI safety is an engineering problem that does not require new laws. Days before the event, Amodei published a 3,800-word essay arguing AI is advancing too swiftly for safety research to keep pace, a position OpenAI CEO Sam Altman endorsed on X. Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman separately criticized Anthropic's approach to training Claude on questions of consciousness and welfare, calling for such speculation to be removed from training documents.

A version of this story was originally published in AI, Tech & Money, a free weekly newsletter packed with news and exclusive analysis on all things tech, platforms, and deals in advertising and media. Sign up for it here . Welcome back to AI, Tech & Money. This is Trishla Ostwal, ADWEEK’s AI reporter, writing after two very long days in San Francisco, where Salesforce threw its biggest party: Dreamforce. Gwen Stefani, Katy Perry, and Usher were on the bill. So were OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who took to the stage to debate a more consequential question: Does AI development need to slow down? More on that in a minute. First, there was a little friction between Microsoft and Anthropic. Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman is taking issue with Anthropic’s approach to training Claude on questions around consciousness and welfare interests. Suleyman called for removing speculation about AI consciousness from training documents, arguing that it could make future AI systems harder for humans to control. That puts Anthropic in an awkward position: Amodei has been among the most vocal in calling for more caution around increasingly powerful AI. Now, one of his peers is arguing that some of Anthropic’s methods could create problems of its own. Amodei has already given us plenty to chew on before he even spoke on stage at Dreamforce. Just days before the event, he published a 3,800-word essay https://links.adweek.com/s/c/TPMULE6178BeYNz5I9YKI19uqvYx6uggACQEHfmQ0NKoHbi1QWJnkyA8zGeTV1jr-FZD9qsiWQr hGdyqFbrD TTeMyTBamGo2nU7GqWMenTrZnVTti3aV3Aui7AqiMQ5Ctbx-X1-q6xotnt4UMilk7mcJ10li-n 3DG3H6alPqKWQaR9Zp2vIwC7IGN0aLiTX3-gP ZEtfcsmsOsudp5gNRb1cxrCdJVt8rHb1xO-LkdMd1YaQMwVqT2IS4TJ27gbwneOSjIxb18XBRp6pYhCp5Rhj5xDXi4xmDQ4s4l Y1xqcKairaaR5R1Rq8dqDGsflpdFPEYQN1E6TNChAoWF6SRY69GrjTbvb4HwZD696Ibq WpWHzqK-LIrQcEEgAczh2M1PKlh3wTq88LD93WUNp-aVUObkZVA9oSpoKPDpTqIZ0havtCCcR88cwt NbroX7hiGKw2xSviu4fS2KoDyO2er6jm5fjOjS5lrNkMEvUGme3hsJ6bkOX81XDdHxk1YLBLGDDAENMcURiW6cY9DMcHUYYgOWvfGmOkzxPUu6Ayd5 LHTPV2kUFRmpmLYDPQykMAD48BZRF37gYDGZA4IswDaLO8Ak3wq08G6pGmq45jTVXu9zgdfPxQCRrl5WO2M0Ad1pvioiA/Nbh8i7yB8uIaWi594RAeLXCuxfMSxPXd/24 arguing that AI is advancing too swiftly for safety research to keep pace, and calling for independent evaluators to get permanent access to frontier models to verify companies are following their own safety commitments. Altman agreed with Amodei on X https://links.adweek.com/s/c/jlTbtOeMEBLRIlu03W7Qw01iyCcq74ZqpDdokIczc7766804ItfVERc7qT7hOnzJX7sbubTOepXoOGKYVRde3C1bkZuHtZlu-iU42zfRLuTI2QAaY0LVzkHvPaV0WN4xs2-3cZG Oc8h0j9mvVHZX8dAl7PUkbgu668mPIrQd3 tQFUPE68gaaUozLyEMXoRbvOWDGsU6FwY05P46ve 0zn3JgJcNWCJ8JDARJTsKOZK7-ctZqikzg5ZyZ4ZpKhhe1EyrOfKuwkUeWXy73o-D5VKFmBh3 fQOzrOKkcMOjJH4X99JUdklu1uV5TVSjonkTWKEX1EHUoyTL4DGgbOLk-a5iS3JqM0u50JBnkM8wmGB2zignMh 3tMVpCY5tIC8U21X xhD7Fm8HcBXVxSi3BGG1KrIEtQhYTDlwGR2jHlBtodNHhiik2j1aCmTBmltthe1ROgx4AhnViRa7ZseuVj NiNE0VTnU9J556mxsi9xLLPn2mf5xvTQJX9Opdl1O8hHYqQc7NBclrTQWBcV-mPabeppM6rxSmWRohe0abJyorZCdoIxt9xeE6obdw0o 4DZme aYZln oHQOE-YmCtOBK31uDGTMUHISJuSE7EKcAv o90ZlP4IwOFt4NafY/7FI VvO0ys44QI1HLsn-qf7sWh09ezbf/24 . “It’s very tempting to attack your competitor and say, ‘These guys are unsafe,’” Amodei said at Dreamforce. “The more responsible way to respond to it is to say, ‘Let’s look at our own record.’” Nvidia’s Huang offered a contrarian take. He argued that AI safety is fundamentally an engineering problem, not a legal one, and said new laws and regulations aren’t necessary. Companies, he said, should determine whether their products are safe before releasing them. Nvidia is financing $105 billion for OpenAI’s data center https://links.adweek.com/s/c/R5aTSysxjaFvCjZ8lFBIKPYnYssnWIY6R9zQHiFTC-D gK yLcG9DpBMtBk7AHjyBmacu8fVlNDd2POKuPgam-8N8JR9iWdaLO0GIK2fmYC9eaQ5HUqlunsYxYWG5 uYoIe5Uj8tdvRJPTnYnqayDIEWCjmwkm0vv oowvRsASWy93zcAmnzlHdCENmtWGjWPTu1NsOzRs9oPlkRNMIL5iElDCL4H8gRZUeGV5kyKNuj346MzPQKkySubvePh2mrE6GUEI6RQpFPBQc2LHa5d08fssxOLXjW-UNyuSPh053tEinFnFNrTvJ9tii2ODYJ7AYbnKaKObfwmnoEH8SDWE1Wgu9NKto8MNX 6FiERjU g-heVjLVBTHkhynVA1K5XddjREDFwqZCcc3gBfyBdFJFqfG9kbJ SvPQrmft868mmYDkkIDltPTqu8Jzize0NNNwRrDqnUleECNcKt6Nt9K-WXOpqHHN4 apIM0 hqPvtfdzz mAnUAbH9YTW4tNwxLmOKSvQoHr4hdTA n3KxiH2A5AWKBiDTuKOFKsyMFdDNfYuWchkaNbauOSe69I5fst4c4G2d0vC6ONOBMtNcZD9KSCpNQlftIv5jA5-C4AedcyVY0PF6kxBkJ1sodh-9zaHFdGTV2dVnSvGB6UuNbD9K2wGnK3pebLSAkCIwKpSIUN LDr YBCtD15LD9aS2sIOxgiZcciQA/Y5BgVheIf1p0kBlsTHmQFwNY 5IVtIr4/24 and is reportedly investing $10 billion in Anthropic’s IPO https://links.adweek.com/s/c/xYlzlTDbLLxyDGTz9iWQv 3W3kuT-E57-LLo0ZQl5JGI7dxbq U-v6AuXc fYyztVPu5ZddBNvSk2WSPw RrwEwWnQYU8ZlfaqJ1XxZrt8uTYghq-3TCh1xQ2owEInKF891ASVthFoLPCiWSPSWsQsF3ZBW0SpBe01t5IZBwKl8sbnkMp78fbpDIf5D2Tcl9AyrIRic-f Q3BjNNr6ABM2gMoERR9jBrfqLKyTM DWW2uw8 Sc 3KQauD8WAVXf1DUNZOcsgakraKOPdO -b4Ddo6ffNBLArcu4TP2kAbLRhGyouWmQDgbKBo2GAuXE0LHlmUpuPyp04ZiNsob-g7UX0Kbfq62DeNjuESmjWtYdXODj QrlnDF7XhAtYcGc5KClV geE3Y94kRAURQOIs2opm8a4595dlnn34H9wcVwnnruyqGoUAbVQrrrSfQtei14UqFDz4QiErxF7YuF66jfrQvQiIFoYNVT1CPIDzEU1uZAXP66rcd7jy1X68hwumTeLx9FHBJFkh3vYAbhY3cgNMhPuI77zML1X5rhs3Lnl2yAAPgQLYO3I3Wls83ZLFGj5HaKU8mCWNtyDrcEJ0ryAYjF6ZJAz7Co9YRHaO0h39q2WY EMSkqtS0buZfyrryxec4CC RCXY53s8MWJFwlH2lHTK I7Nyvbw3GW1fFX reidv5hwcyBuoeKFtPCI HY-1iR0zsp4uBm9Qw5 -STs2hEqJQURUUQgZXQTCfeEjgVdHYC00imD4S5s0wAGgwMd-dHKW2nIfUAUeBOj5Xew-dELgkSo9VRHMHjAKwiuJ1L tPNJi7yFVkN AFODd-ALqEnAWXgpYJsZc3N9gxZqrepKf4IdbFYgkKCv118JSpwq67k596zQRMskeIVvsoYKRKjbIYdA9Xk803jsKiWp31fp6sQGxaWF0eY zopBakk5mv7epy3WVcMvrax0 Pwg4xtyOpXZIvvC-f4GlNMvMvuBe8Kno DiZ KLFdZ2Tc0X08L90JPTrhqOs73k1VUQkH5DUOCTBoXpIdc aHHXsi5ElhJUC4l29oANmW4K6CbMyVX6siFr4mC cVP8xEbQE-81YsdSHHrhTD3M95OnwnuyW0nyBiqHX6bqMbf0cBvuTLDSc4WIYhK96gKShoD6HVClvjmO-krE59l4Nw0RBQJWGSRUdIUTAX6kyXzATZlyJzRf BXnK-eHtfKaKWHb9Ut9OZ8le-HJAB30huBdeTekhZV9vfI6K5vxo3ozlF Cd3CKqsXBndPp3vj4A9e2EFscl6q1Hq2GnA nPQfsCIPesqUGoUh3BU4WcnntuMiXegxbrSvO2GeeGQaynEq8KqixrMNVVDct-JRhPl 1bfdTcKJkq4ei4QE3PQSq24e9vMySiI5ZnynsCed98Zc7wLI6wphdZN/MclOzG2yMf6I QLGh-Y1CTOfcSqpKmwS/24 . Both AI labs are among the big buyers of Nvidia’s chips. So, you have AI’s biggest players effectively in opposing camps about AI safety. The debate is also playing out in Washington. President Donald Trump https://links.adweek.com/s/c/TFldC0W0fWAPuIYnO30z3Cha9FAW5m 4z72ZgQi1CqIfORV2jGSuw7b0Gfp6Wu dPYwef2-MH-8Jcf2Nr7folfV2pCNRpLmBB7w0y2E2xURgArV06mjCjwhY3DiKwiMiu5VaZNyDta4qdgghZFKhce AbzJaNC3z03t6dDE-l B54lUzZx2gT4qTXF84 RHFYj1 C9EEN1kfmSj9TcPSxHSc7o7a6xYafQpoawM1lzOPNOzGQxm bgGOgi1MPBqx8YyBTYxpjEs2Ji59yVABCp6yK kh2NZ3tdeeyW9hiAm1cv7uC121j04Cwl4IHuBjw6G115D-CSlinuyvhjtFsuXJw9hNqBQGRvF5SWvNQ19BbgshCojZoZDZq8AgswC-e63fohvpndiG2sYDC6x2Yso7pbrY7Hu-4nzHWO9L7C2--UMA7Vd 2KDHJ66Gkm8UOG7GfKUViZSd6AftRTn9vRbycdjfsBRdjuBrY0JXkiyeCBtS88t56fWRfOJKjLKd58dxlUp1VX0x9ajduzAssH-c1M5u-e5h67DQ2PaC0yYAoYGVR3qpsa2--FCtgTAnWHP3O9mJCVaDAAvGtFfpge3M0CD6YC43L7qVdHjdZf-pjO T0oJkD7EKDwbLHV2TkagQNJn TVhRI1mTYyPXEVG4VJD3Ztlhlwo2jiKAbsP1Kb27 gxeZQDhiW7HVgISPMc5b9LznadH-w/N2DEEXbaK9NaWXKuHfVn1LnLbssm8Ej0/24 has rejected calls from AI doomers for an AI slowdown, with concerns of losing the race to China. “The only control or “guardrails” that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART High IQ PRESIDENT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social https://links.adweek.com/s/c/gXUsKAf7qUeomoPAQZgm IEjiepwc9shdvwkhKAPE84LAn6RhonxfPRx7IYXOr95H9rvk2d73KxrJUu59PpJ8HMfDiW3hnQJWl8v87ZjnsvWZdeccgxIdPzO2ALYxkkWCPR kaGa04gBUN4uGYciKvawQPR0yvU77ZZBUy2kCEpJBwCjbwthnEYw5jDdEFwXF0PEpwk8rGmuLY3bbFJgLurLwySUa85R8dgTc7dIorxqdYYTNUBpICw8IMzzG9z2ceerjfW1zkYdoggplnXrxu4DT0yyXmWLB2Z2devaAOVBAUrkx nSMcjsTdRrHzT4AjmZccCkTsbd7KamYE Q9Lh9FXEvtPISJW2v11IyMsFf44sFY1kJnSn19ZOaiZZ5oAzL9hjE1RhO776ep3HDZh25rpwvQ2qQUd5K5Ah30MTKHUevba2jyxPMxCi3XMYPhTp rdeyyMGjozVveE4TfB9N4ALlvYeaz6sAgXrAY4jOAJp6lIeyAHFgGtxbz L2 j9rDFj5oYlmMQK FBPRmuk-fZnNTCf5POGVSvN5cgbqje0ube4vDsmalQFqFGTQOX8ZfDdHY2nMrD0p dgwrpEgDcgVs1bMLkZyQnl0GFXpget8kSbSdvEk 7tWKxs O48u1h65mmgogjtDs oZxj5JT7sTJsQctXIo o0KXgY/6BVvoDUrTEmTUwDrbNSwjQFjG3 t2Jk8/24 . Finally, a quick reminder that entries are now open for ADWEEK Tech Challengers to Watch, a new award dedicated to spotlighting up-and-coming tech companies making waves in adland. Learn more and enter here https://links.adweek.com/s/c/FkmYF3ydL6owsmCDY Klsf02KLXTCt6K85EgZ1yb9EDTBg8fB9RIGNw4EQm2Oqgut 4N7RHVYSEX0cahzDlIHHwEhAPDmGBd5tePnMCobw3IbiXR3FKFGKECVkaF-VXQYaAx9U8QfdD0Bw2jzYZPGTiEKLcTCNkCY8hAinA2ZK2WV7DuTBHdkuDkj PN2vkjOFWdC1oDJGzMCs08jY69mi0bhF28ziYeniIg2NQ0Y1yicOPp8BDDHuPfnE-odOAovu8zS4ZwZL ENZAhmdl-YlwS9 D3090uC6 gYlBbmqejU3rDFG4l BHcU9Bq8bILn71806sRRU5yn5mA staFwEflIH5fdV6AMpjLjvlVGYyWX0JNthTwnmg-7LMUVfVj-vovaFgUPTuQz-ijOsIXvMZLZOXZOYGdK74SRVXU4WXLK0d1-J35nyeGKUWaBmJdPscdO XxFb6H9wgyjF1EVlMXSmeIRHpevQXxcwFZhXD pa G0jkBodafdIwGekVQOd-AWqlxUHApLNLWCcGiGuwoHdk6Y0xaX4kaWbxbGR3jHQTlnDMzmduGCo0F6HgqJLp95NfuPRGn ymJ6hYy LsNhf546J4FIeq1osIKq2fM 1uFdEgk9rCLKEc9AMtaMv1xb3pVWeC4qkWioZVS42ox0kY6SgNCxa3ndsx9t8RVTRRzj jWdRnxqKwerbiQQET4WHTgdxK-j7VAVO628iUPlb3FWGelsj-l2rXMETlAWiK5oGKv7os91TKU6Rqfme3PfSH0A/N NYP3wfXve7Gwrz-06uSn7-lxFy1T4c/24 . THE TOP LINE - Sam Altman said AI companies should expect accidents https://links.adweek.com/s/c/b I DL4aNsN58pZKT8gFn UqM4-5-cUpOF4JqVbOEN6cLR9XNHBJJE5eNdn9JJG3NaxTCgDcwLLycblTwid6dXZnLuZY4eFki6dhc5YEroJE0ApwWM0gKfUOVsSaHNLGqhxV4qvz9HY53R2qB6GSJfALqXa03nNa-zFbnqfI2Y4Vo Bm9MXjtNJYZT7IibTXJqZBjjHBn4g6IceRR6kj8UVpsikgU309hz -NwfZlAVcHfAF08kFJ-Lme66ZbwRkt7UONfEzI21WwsBv9t-xy-gC4KpYAl8mjQEL1-kvvil0RTjvDjiMLBXtcytSOC9W6L2RRgjvXH4N18pFwAc TFc8gPKWBOp24P3N87sLQsZ1jVmJdq qqbBPzE8n-ehpwo8rWaziwqUdzWSDiRNIowbTT4o0Z7j2DBZ OIH7V64858V0QPhFdO3Vsw8XdQVss6yB8vJa5TrwKEFzbzpKLHjoWXY2i7qkDjdEorRByLc6DfSDSPUAkE8jjSrOEjI04T1jI1vXsOL2QxdiSZBGFj8AGG5bS4L46-xqUDifTUmttJw3J3BJd58gqB5TzvjFmTuvkbElcd3dq1dfdUL1Y6kX216tNDeUyZfcjr-ORFP218kMT7tY78XFHoLv8vEqyPM9GqWHREYM6RxYvPBjF2Pve3iiZmmnEHhAI8KyqZdX1YnGO8fxptpXMnbxcxdrnPWfbMdcG10dyf5SqSIYBJHykEJcEL4uIm4R/kpCu9wnYLT09LqJDxZKjFNcDEDwhKXxF/24 as increasingly capable models are deployed. - At our Brandweek event in Atlanta, Wikipedia dished https://links.adweek.com/s/c/Bk2mNBEj11Soiv99WP60hED3QTsIgxG60mgt0i9rGEsAddNySZEexJboOQQoFU9L2g1HR7vwtwCOZJenuh7lkiAiFAlBkTVZSWCaTt-pafPOEBUwz0TptPu6IRWmc0UBSeC3T6LfFuReqS3G-6dRudhTyU7-fr6v3nqZie7tbEtKto8zIlSnOFaz9X2XFISHXeMWkDAxrCXA9MZ26FQaY2SE3StxXYdet3wD7vTyF20dvkGQfXT50HRiWqniJM9PzfAA14b3DbBjPgzpCuh5ZHLhKvAE3lAoazl0qhrMFrjIIyfDz6ooVnE0khC37lS07j1w4bY2jUpE VYfSL77ueeCELsbQOxqDp8LRAPTJCIkUsEgGtpM Ht3IyglDIVaX BXzFnTujPkt2a7B-zN5hP--YvzHV bgS1bCmkPxI-oIqp1EFYfMDsBj2twyVDTHj4-uFYzqeMvVmGg4f-xwz1-VRdSsULMkhsjnUAZJYKqR ov6iUYPa WSIc rg3NtqpoqR1neLlK0Dh-cDQ2HDC1WaglvtTl m EZlYbcta-g5Hlg52wSwb9MaxPgcxZeZ8vlI3vnlJ1Udwcj9TJi-YsTyTpYugBfhqmXlXyWzBTvJvSVAEIjCtOjb6Gp5aKDKyuJ-tNllzeawlZ4uV4rVXJozc1-TnTIG8mzPBPXP04HwkUphNeDSnoobmf430BPFKuo-4wVCCHNYh-DLtffqf1zi6IoFQAghQncNcp4gzfvAQZRV5Z6I VP6HJ57lgyvtcIOeA-mvbcCripbjsi1pAp7sgPEHoU2xrR7TnyLx2epBcuWqlnghNoyYBo3i7WKi5NR69ZqTI0AdIXlgeLnohw1Juehe3jujb/wRcy1C5LrZUVeffuTYjmr2UmfPp8 JhN/24 on how it plans to survive the answer engine apocalypse. - And LA28 is bringing a golden opportunity to brands https://links.adweek.com/s/c/nWJTEecKbxsrMYIZzWWYIaFX9bWGkXvGoNm8nhtWYEfFzP4Bx1eFbJvOfM2bTXfpPeqXu1LhlS27IJyz0V5Z5AAxMVLhtVnHF4CyUuVYfHLWsOjGDoJKhnx4-lqAR1gaGp8VuTlbx2uHHZwT3CpfNmZa6ZhfMg59JQ1Z0WlChv8OJLlLJKHj4PDYhSHlBfbRwvB7ahlHIZed TBMAPYnkaQvMtcsc5pkstjljepd3Ou6qcTYJRum5ULSx3pG3Vy2iU1nPdkRirK0sphmfUVfRCNhHpsnaawIOD1Ga1GOmrwnVH8jMfGqulrpUVYd FZ5FsX-uB2JxUJLNde2HHheKuvGQlsGzKdvMqFxT-Mjep7VtqVs9YqEgqV4hT9jsbq1PMnFSrFRrGJ5DT2gHaZKvHeWC f4Ilk-28KToxzz9IunjlTZ-tVoiNNaxnNMXNSIdzWZ-sgcv2FBVep-5egorIhzPFhBKA5GcA-Ux8YD0c3oDxoqK8aFCgeQ9T5grnMjvFQziI43byXYFLq66GIHiUZNmPjg6vTLVutPq-2GraC0t7Fd9RoAPMxIWDFi5zJ9YOmf74rsQL1c0q3Lu3HGLXBsZ-RaURpLNFrl-9nbEnz-nuEZk3v6G9DacxvlJ54vXt70f200AkaCjkZqK2i-qrmGAtnpz5HTbRxnvnitt3hWd0t4DJfGSi414dPcckokmAprrdX3tCX0ZpKYoswhx3uTnqEVs s/nbaBor5I-tCfNDZ7TZJdP4rMG2DBT6Oh/24 with new offerings and massive viewership. - Global ad revenue will reach $1.3 trillion by year’s end https://links.adweek.com/s/c/ sXBx86EWl1z9dXNv6cn9pU5mIwMIU7A8sStpoPN sQBCYlkpEM65bO9iV0kaZ0OG pZ2ixpX2c2s7N2vTdPPfSlUGW0dzscqElxdY7fDfk56ihM9j-uc1ZhNPsdzDGH0tyeECx FS25bk glnFMpOKfub-kPvxPEcvf8Y9U277joQPXOip S9vHiB3hTvh-Xb2aJJU2r6 10GT LwXVC6ybmy2nz9iqRDgqrouC8VH5WHaNPg4CrWdTsV2pXLeT4-bDsAztmXB7YI0W-axx ogAp4lwodvPwaTNJHKSaoUjqvX1yIrVrRBWVUuQTS EaBUsnFzXOoI2xMci6VkhaRp TI 9IH5jNFu23-y9shm5pTuHyUKgJbxOLA3ALf29p4g10X0x nuFbfx6bG dXwlB-wfFqP-TamN0F5qT-sC3QQFh0i5wcXkUW6ZPIZ51LkPR5pvWoGkLoVEvk1aS403CAfHzzEEggZ a46QDOsyUR7KsaTRDJrv DR it6UBezhBysiflhYl4OBElgFwHYMNq7tFIqunEZik9kDm-prhkmBuKWKgy7UXW2K8KGkSUcKIOExAuxqgCeuoEhOz05zgkuzPqlR-HQjkJ0YLRLf6VKTmoPv89ByshA5wJ2n4-j0osJu7V-O-f1fodxMUxofRHQ9hwjRFdPw1PE1sLtR1fDJGmttAdQwOLTD6DDwTWSUQxTCU841C0uL3HaygvFi7CRiTRnM9T5c soF9IE3qOaPFDbdnlwzzXOB2a8jUGw-NihEdKqOGzaWMWAAc CTnNsftC0S-kXhosubyUI-Q-GBLk4CJdTtvhSLzvMUQrry4gpqMwfIOVnRKzObkyFplse8pro68l3e SF PMdktZfM1WYKBA3NyCEl7duKs1CHRS FxcaT1ETpAWTZh9ec5Pl9xWxuXniUHCfvuFGgIA2KvglwJpgtaDspgkBF5EaAkQtGGcwSRmfiEHjtKmgaZ5aBWBMw6sAc3uTPzwLcA/LSuh-ityIY7oCRmnhJOmy34o7e0UZisP/24 —an 11% increase year-over-year, per Madison & Wall. THE QUANT Comfort with using AI in the customer journey falls sharply as autonomy increases. According to research by DEPT’s survey of 2,606 consumers, 65% of people who’ve used AI for shopping are comfortable with AI through the recommendation stage. But only 15% will let it move into preparation or transaction, and just 7.5% are comfortable with fully autonomous actions. The same report found that 56% of people who recently used AI while shopping chose a different brand than they’d originally planned. DEEP LEARNING: AI Agents Get a Reality Check: AT&T, Crocs Want Automation but Still Need Humans in the Loop Marc Benioff wants AI agents to take on a lot more work that humans do. But Salesforce’s adoption numbers suggest that vision is still a work in progress. Roughly 30,000 of its customers use Agentforce—a feature launched in 2024 that builds digital workers to handle business tasks without constant human direction—according to Benioff. That’s just around 20% of Salesforce’s roughly 150,000 customers https://links.adweek.com/s/c/gTpSkv9Rlb6d0XSBruNSvFB 7hQdlWUDVyp2b0JxdFt 3rgMXGQJIKRDkqo7gJY1G75viZZMK EpX eVKw-y6vKjz1jMgp-X0yK1mRFtE02AKYIvd I-VqFqr4 p8aDHzOT6ChtNO6ihaTj0MS0t r4ha6sdQ mOPQvmJ8JOwgES3ugVO9ys3IbclNW2ZG6s4-ZgvihmG csjCLDLRSkvaUTLkN3N9qjVEp1P5dUNUafit5SRnfeIl7qK8rQgvWI29tBOjSfMPaRKQ63SKxSav-vTiAPS7TCbRsn6r PxDH8L89wVR806AFl fWubi279stqglp7i-pyhCDUgTJfe 0UXWhnCm0xYb-aK5N14o3z1f1cGlE9w6CzUaxH6SkCZYkfEDquwoKpn7aE4yZYlcEetS-eV54STunlGhSv4vejnPEfuJzqoWZ9x vC6Xmd6IbWJGSXUZ8CGusG8iB9GbbdK0O4uuPYFxgJYahc55iD7ZRVY9R2LzXD1fnkZ06At7DRsL396o1FgvDlnWdCtQ 1HYFnDzHqUZjnoO6GcGANJ6t6WKwX4I5oH2Q-RXhFpIwhuiA52PrzAYZeC-BiIKg244s3ww2osEAayzed-rPRVBW ht5O2nVbgyr1 ibaslMF8n2Z6sIQ/FYBnY1ocnu-RTkP8uUqhWBHZl9iN3vRe/24 . Talking to brands on the ground, I kept hearing a more cautious version of Benioff’s vision: Sure, automate more. Just don’t automate everything. I toured a section of the conference hall branded Agentic Enterprise City to look at some of those early adopters, and the AI agents Salesforce is pitching as the future of enterprise software. I spoke with executives from AT&T, Southwest Airlines, CVS, and Crocs about how they are putting AI agents to work. The use cases themselves weren’t particularly novel. But the details of how these brands are deploying them—and perhaps, more importantly, where they aren’t—offer a more grounded picture of what companies actually want from AI agents. AT&T, for example, is using AI to help cut the time it takes employees to upgrade a customer’s phone from about 30 minutes to roughly 10 minutes, according to John Miller, VP of consumer and business solutions. When I asked Miller where AI vendors can be unrealistic about what brands actually want from the technology, he pointed to a familiar tension: Efficiency isn’t the same as eliminating human interaction. “AI can make us much more efficient. But we really want to make sure that there’s still that human interaction,” he said. That distinction shapes where AT&T is drawing the line. The telecommunications company is stopping short of using AI agents to handle cancellations, leaving its human employees to understand why a customer is leaving and potentially resolve the issue. “We want to be able to understand from our customers’ perspective why they’re cancelling, and then be able to help,” Miller said. Southwest Airlines is taking a similar approach, using agents to handle servicing tasks via chatbots, such as flight changes and completing transactions, while reserving human employees for what Megan Rauber, manager of technology at Southwest, described as “right here, right now” problems—situations where customers need immediate help and would benefit from the human hospitality that requires empathy and assurance. Crocs is deploying AI agents both as a consumer-facing chat and voice bot called Rivet, and internally, where agents can help developers create promotions or categorize products on its websites. But even as Crocs expands those use cases, it still has human hands on the tiller. “There still needs to be a human in the loop as we’re still learning about capabilities and complexities of automation,” said Feliz Papich, SVP of digital technology and experience at Crocs. Papich said some of that automation complexity gets lost in the rush to build increasingly sophisticated interfaces with AI vendors. The harder problem, she said, is making sure the data underneath those interfaces is good enough to deliver what people expect. “Data is such an important conversation, respective to AI,” Papich said. “Sometimes that gets lost because you’re talking about the interface, and want to make the agent that delivers against expectations. The data foundation necessary to make sure that the quality is there—that complexity of that is not always communicated.” What People Are Saying DEALS, DEALS, DEALS - OpenAI weighs new funding round at $1.5 trillion valuation https://links.adweek.com/s/c/gdFVvTqjgbkDXyi8C469LeoczutkMPNbxqUNIoDwJ KuKmbXKAZ8MJbzmyHLtM4k5kGF4Uhgdr DpDvmNSvPyeHKScPQVRdoEcZ mEVqPEnNy-36jHrZYYd7phqJtoI3JlIGJ2pMJ6qsVNFZ1jZetEQF4TjkHUPD209JpWgr9eQdPwaOIa6 EUB0sy55K5M44AKzOOR0iN lfM0RLj3s4v-gKkv5VIvxT3Zbu3fDS0nTgkak5cG60sIQ1ulgF0jMPoTE3XbLGTTSkJJjjbfWV4eJShgIvgyTon3cfXKaodpVX5umCRie47T8pgOvu0tB-ZSEtnRLBhum2rYO-fzzJbd9NPoBFWIIHFgt1WXvVCXhUVjFFnTUp-Wg7zcOKA6XOEA1 BSP6N82X1-4RP6EdC60mEg80WWAVXKMveVniFXaYFFdkN5 3dCVpIQujhELNeapR4j2oEzGgB4tlqc9UuWow5gtnghQunVHCpawL0aH0Tpk23zTuGSbU0GVXxpBsnEtajHTSkcHBU1XqrPANUuWfEOusXTsligIuT4HAwSlfR5CsH-exvVE5D982cW5XOV7sdPq61leTE CNDv-Qg48h00GG3R4MYbzRe0qR1s5W1FgN2ajEkrBy0-BAzexezarhSDciy5l0MoBGJIwlBn-VqSSj13n-1ORJsoMrDG28wQ-6PSzjoBvz0wmJ7suiqeWnCQ1KPNZjSrwzhKGJpyYLA/sBySxGAJ6Zob0NCG5yZP2rOfdEIRTVcf/24 before IPO. - Health support app Headspace is being acquired by Sword Health for nearly $300 million https://links.adweek.com/s/c/MeBO9hQ--ULiVJl5Cdsef p5-6AZktIcFvcC0igNKtJ0kIRT45bOT tgPYYZ8DXHVqiPW8pQ6kUC1G06aHQkmfdfKEUrTW 7wi4oAtfM7gabquaN9UDV07P4xlMFreBaieEVHf5WpB34-Z0cQ36dnQZkiU BpqohS6e4OdZUcBpUzhF1VkXOO M1COf79MHWu9nsvT6jiOqIk9TGF6fh14jT3SRXMDUuj3HsbrXdymQWPz2KwRqnhGLJfns1cK3-vie08jiRDab8oc8rL1uUk4PQiiFXsD-J6ambP-BTSY2XEJ367uj4VtgkfQVCe-0T4QtDbuMd3atWGcG 11uFOWAZYnzjXBQh5ikpz2vIxHbD-YiJvznO4e neS0R4uu8at2EAKkg3YWb-66Et2vOXVla 07Ht-L0vHoouBWF16jNUm4HSYoIpzqfuu4aSGT24aGDyZODMAhC9PRHRo60TkwYIDN0MzGeazDM9pIGoifZsE0nLtRitfy3Nrs-xYuT57FSJ2r1hmDj0F-7kq9inqyadnGJgWDpN6ft4qrt9c8WdTxu0J48gq82-uw357V2ns0HY7p3OEVfG11di1rRdRxbqU1NsALVLIivl18oKULgW58zZwSRoQGHO0cu3j7j2pUXS7fWMGdE-aGHRRYdGJHtkTDTMjSI4ZCR1ErGjyCfFtVEuFMUutNeZGTJa-qJrWUq3yVdn3k3OzBtQBkD84Koq8Ub3zaWPw7UGMRHhE6XyoQjL3oKy8kBXkVXLfCTwiLicjV0vhdxMkpUVKknqCpHCjkKJwKGEFfgZDZKSHp4IaxVm-2OI5LK 5tl6lB6z1EGaKA hM9I3VpK8gMeWqXqL8dQPrpV3vnrIlBlikqhYyXmu jbLlQ/jYRwMEOJf7UPvdE6bE1ExSly2q 7b17S/24 . - Bain Capital Ventures raises $1.6 billion to back startups focused on artificial general intelligence https://links.adweek.com/s/c/qvtOIIatsRTP5Xie9fFKKFIff4vg4B3I4lIPkDgKwE9TFE55Y8O7WY0BTYEp97MRv5uWLd0VkoZs0JxSNthKiS3vmBqGuxI7A1XRi idgbusBwVocYXkkTXdD ZCmHg6jxXm44XTDRrKHejhnmmsn5VF47rEi998PSEqgzHGw 9obe1l6ANMQhLYG3AWyTF-50vAobr lOfx3zwgbB-AwqTyi-ortu7qJTUr06ZtXirr2AZ2i99zcPUttfVTKK6j yGkRNtrjBm1b9D ev691ISYMXnUODdSByrxOheG7TjUbnok nWsenu-i7zWrb2-AYqelCUj-gBz0nkg7dBsd1w0KvcFHAyWh0M0EpYNtKCtD6vN-VH74g5t5GTEW6pu Y9Lso5LmIHidYHgZLP2FY9 cJSWR46orZeaEuv-sThcLpHReeAGS9tn cO0i-ZIcYKBhMTKqmwh9X4mJhpOO3XJcFKKv67OiwzwFZ6SzHwhwndiAnEDmhLWdJDLQDq2 SyJcRMO5MmPcjLuUmYwaQH6sAM5aXCecvWY-Kvodz0i8ZC8GvxaAiuJZmqCmJgBFmluMjYm7jabKHwsBvWpqv0sHz1Ey-5BwkQAp0IVFd-TreVnNJaPT8Rdv5H GXyAwvrHE1gwBdEoTztYVIG0zojCzW2uR7t7pXXmWOeoUpqRcCfID wZ51Mm0IU9f8cHDL70swtAH8uWnRD OKPdH79a-BMKPEXYWedHhgqhUwwuKhREqCq8RPzGz7gtOUyBm2E2mhJt8oNhOuhgK EXccqqJ-kII3f1eXe25y0pSfI7XoljAa7UVEW2EnH-K6Nqp85di71k0vvg/YfKJX8TwlYUyVV7xBAUDopyB9O34YIJ /24 . REVOLVING DOOR - Mark Weinstein joins Target https://links.adweek.com/s/c/AXlumm6-C2LcO-ZmRNBrtsXJ1JMQ3uLVuT-HsxBd8r4vnIm0BUegXeMcQNZ8k2a2V-UZPOVrlEaiVm8YDxmLLzReuKgk7gOcfNZxW6lplsRWA6k8AjUg2M7zKpDfwDjWk6NIUilQJ4aetXD0BULWbAp6JTQodHj80JrF-L2wXQuRhKReE5UQBRCPWmLdU32ArytfKW dy-RJZgU a0T6JMTpwpYiXz9pYLpwM2tllOer1fA sEFeXRAMX8g0BmSiViUxPLSAKRW2q6Cpqbvy8Uap2yhlsSgm2jBoB761 Ztgd7vAXTbydO-szeCozOGIuXPf-XMTc0KHRH00DApJMnEQzMJY 2h0PmcXuxStSGU6EyLNNN4xVff1l5cO6bF3xIcES6h4WgcigXrOQyIDamfBnyXrhancyh1YHlwlH9ldFc55m5JMRamcxXDgKQ LC-Uu0tiq1nUygTCr40lYCm5eBCGfkLD2YKrBzG xdtxT4ERI ChyjSKLSBaA Wd7jwBb4GE4ez3KtZDi1FwwgKcgdsAY Cc8B8wi1EE1552RifevySDEJfRrRuf6MSZ5wlxGBXgLuIwlPUIPPLAkRm6UxtJiERsjkMXfxi2PwAwudyVq6MgCGoEKj1-rDOWqj0J tC7bRus7KKUdu9yCL4ejCeiFdkjtV1Ty9FelkFptooWwM5HW6VDrA-lGCQZlvXE-275GmN5BXc8FG8jKKKYVi0PPZL0MlCNEsLSljhXeJmviXB4h7x3GkrusUfo/ uBl2F1zDC1HdjHCzlZ7izNvFQZUjBES/24 as CMO and guest experience officer. - PebblePost names Magnite CPO Adam Soroca as its CEO https://links.adweek.com/s/c/5-qLZx5vYOawJgSP8y88Yi5GrJ5s7d g02YM2pSc1jUs LAWmEiBmkVp9tubWubvL4dYdihZdGOXJAFBK33tdgD7J5pEQRzbKP3MxOawZjA1MmhXXF8a9qLtrrfW kSEbOOY1tlhgwagkw8UAbJgZ3LJV8WUO-I9B6LcG ZU1dUHbCmzbnBohYV9KoUOUKEC-CL3Cb80hq-wLqclFqM 7hHqnwxiif13UtQ1NfK2d1zTHbbBkbqBPRynKzvVcHCqHcaAH0WbCtAnA gqIZOQtlo0LY2KGEFbaWBwB5NWxrHMhB3uNXPcEems048whj9txN hObZLQW0PIf Uj45upSh 0toVPBwtL17Kypj0H7iKRTAl7t2hMOM6TK9Xgt6rJxFUZP498LuR4ldu5EooEAz-3g92a81Z5DaAxJjnE2D6utVW-BJ- oKuLK3DB3PTjym29kt4jY4leGCuAz90JWjVBzuofxLwGngUoaDuZnrPv9b71M8wXx1AaPe7WODDz iqZgApDnFJNfg9Ah5-qbgnB38Yk999FgSOS0NK2WNSYb1STp AS1MspLn3gfKA2MWk49GV X8Slc602IiOFZdiyHjtT1hLFMEl6hDBpbW2HCBbQNvtHgCSYXVloWVwf af9FzuYNzobuExohXjpxWusTjk8ly1b tsJQD7EKV-OY-TXvJ-PQ8ep-9327FcKqoxSOReHOZpRoo4QdB7SKTqyMT0yb4MrCEMRrHGvGHh/utzCI5IdbqC2bsya7SjegsK-RswMEB3K/24 . - Maria Bartiromo is no longer with Fox News Media https://links.adweek.com/s/c/sbgwr1K -B 2HYTp21mpdWFawpLgbZZI H3WqXC-RUZ9DD1dwO6JO3sGSfo4TLIAA8JqQ0AKgg4nNrOzvI2RWa7GheSR2u7XX U9k r1q2ODNJ110xbkwkAAqQ7-ZFd6o51bDFzREoLC2uGN637pvbXisQobd3V487AOB-cMDLAbGA7LcoLvTpwEDFpPjiKUzYE5QDiWRe0MbJsmFWGn-wx1SlCP5waEvDkSzPg6LonjOzjQrd VuEE6sIAPWlEPr4EIOo1GNtq6mVlHxkte2t7uN3Ez7C6ccQsJfMzhgNm7w42S-Ug7Fb3tGBNgMY 9 JmHpZ7kYpTlH80J9eZ6KjP2ALUR7UOrdd bEGsjmKxQo-vyHtrvuShjB4yFjBrkfLmEiVGZ3zVLJR4d-DyeOukxp1T5XUE5GhjYPhIEVmoAAVr1WPE5nl8ghUmeDz-KmMHWAPhwcv92MOSgBBbTPtGCRRFWEI8Sl6hKDkxlybVtWV0GfTKe6lF8utelrTsTHsf8CSzwrCEjAyGdNxHS59tghcfwuy8UooTMvesaDmfArM36DzQJ45Zg7g9CLeXEQG62a7URw7nlVJzvQIGOJCrk5IQt-gOeU0VAtq720-6jBZEag5RCN6m84UmOyNTNqd3xpRRWP-ua 5zOEK-GzJnbHtYosPXscq0mNR0WNrRcjZIdfpBY1nK6zBpq6xUbNUeyiirWlefN6HA/I-C5WYuIAXobVywCUM16VoHAEFHZADmg/24 .