Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has issued a stark warning to the global technology industry, calling for immediate regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). He argues that an unregulated AI landscape poses significant risks to children, and proactive regulation could prevent a repeat of what he terms the 'social media failures' that have impacted an entire generation.
Balancing Innovation with Protection at WEF 2026
Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, Benioff balanced his role as a leader of an AI-driven company with a call for responsibility. While acknowledging AI as a powerful technology, he described it as 'dangerous' without proper safeguards. He emphasized the need for strict guardrails specifically designed to protect children from potential harms.
'AI needs guardrails – evidence now proves kids must be protected, unlike social media's failures. AI fuels our global growth, but not at any cost – we must protect kids, unlike the social media's failures,' Benioff stated in a post on X. He reshared a clip from his Bloomberg interview conducted on the sidelines of the WEF 2026 event.
Drawing Parallels with Social Media's Early Days
Benioff drew a direct parallel between the current unregulated state of AI and the early, unchecked days of social media. He recalled his warnings from 2018, noting that it took governments years to implement age restrictions and parental controls for social media platforms.
'We're letting all of this AI technology out fully unregulated. And, by the way, you remember, that's true what we did with social media as well, and you probably remember what I said in 2018, which was social media was becoming the same kind of very dangerous technology,' Benioff explained.
He highlighted that many countries have since made changes, such as restricting social media use to those 17-18 years or older. 'There are controls. There are protections we need to get there with. There doesn't need to be any more deaths, you know,' he warned, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
The Risk of AI Hallucinations for Younger Users
Discussing technical instabilities, Benioff pointed out that AI hallucinations make the technology particularly risky for younger users. Generative AI models are prone to 'hallucinations,' meaning they can generate entirely false or inappropriate information with high confidence.
'We need to be taking this seriously, and AI is great. It's incredible, but these models, you know, they're inaccurate. They hallucinate. They're kind of hard to control,' Benioff noted. Despite these risks, he acknowledged AI's potential, calling it 'great' and 'incredible.'
Salesforce's AI Integration and Ethical Stance
The billionaire executive's comments come as Salesforce aggressively integrates AI into its core business operations. Benioff says this move is driving success but insists it must not come 'at any cost.' His stance reflects a growing industry awareness of the need to balance technological advancement with ethical considerations and user safety.
Benioff's call for regulation highlights a critical moment in the AI evolution, where leaders are increasingly advocating for frameworks to mitigate risks while harnessing AI's transformative power. His emphasis on protecting children serves as a reminder of the long-term societal impacts that unregulated technologies can have.
