Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce and a prominent figure in the AI space, has voiced growing skepticism about the current wave of hype surrounding artificial intelligence—particularly when it comes to the concept of artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Despite investing heavily in AI and claiming that AI tools now handle half of the work at Salesforce, Benioff warned against the overblown narratives surrounding the technology. During an appearance on the “20VC” podcast, as reported by Business Insider, Benioff dismissed the idea of AGI as a form of “hypnosis,” calling the obsession with it a distraction from the reality of what AI can actually do today. The comment came after podcast host Harry Stebbings referenced a recent interview with David Luan, head of Amazon’s AGI Labs, in which Luan claimed there are fewer than 1,000 people globally who could be “extremely valuable contributors” to building advanced AI systems. Benioff reacted with disbelief, not just at the claim but at the title itself. “AGI head, that sounds like an oxymoron,” he said. He expressed deep skepticism about the very notion of artificial general intelligence—the idea that AI could one day match or exceed human-level reasoning, learning, and adaptability across diverse domains. “You’re talking to somebody who is extremely suspect if anybody uses those initials, ‘AGI,’” Benioff said. He emphasized that today’s AI systems are not conscious, not intelligent in the human sense, and not capable of true understanding. “It’s not a person, and it’s not intelligent, and it’s not conscious,” he stated. While he didn’t rule out the possibility of AGI in the distant future, he insisted it’s far from reality. “I just realize that isn’t the state of technology today,” he added. Benioff’s critique aligns with growing concerns among experts about the way AI companies frame progress. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently clarified that GPT-5 is not AGI because it doesn’t “continuously learn,” even though he described it as “generally intelligent.” The lack of a clear technical definition for AGI has only deepened the confusion. Notably, OpenAI and Microsoft have informally defined AGI as a system capable of generating at least $100 billion in profits—a metric critics say prioritizes business outcomes over scientific milestones. Despite his skepticism about AGI, Benioff is not anti-AI. He continues to promote AI as transformative, even using Time magazine—whose parent company he owns—to proclaim that AI will “fundamentally redefine how humans work, live, and connect with one another.” And Salesforce, of course, sells AI-powered agents, proving that Benioff still believes in the commercial potential of AI. His stance isn’t hypocrisy—it’s a nuanced perspective. He’s willing to embrace AI’s real-world impact while pushing back against the exaggerated promises that dominate the industry’s public messaging. In a world where hype often outpaces progress, Benioff’s caution may be one of the most needed voices in the AI conversation.