Four ways AI will change the future of society

The uses of technology and AI for business are endless and fascinating, but when you zoom out, what are the real implications for society? Here’s how some of Salesforce’s top minds see 2024 playing out.

1. AI will be used as a force for good, but only with equitable access.

“AI presents a massive and exciting opportunity for purpose-driven organisations to better serve their communities – but adopting this technology will require funding and expertise that many resource-constrained organisations lack. This will be a critical new endeavor for the philanthropic community: ensuring equitable access to AI for the nonprofits that are tackling the world’s toughest social and environmental challenges.” – Becky Ferguson, CEO, Salesforce Foundation, and SVP of Philanthropy, Salesforce

2. Healthcare will begin a once-in-a-lifetime transformation thanks to generative AI.

“The U.S. alone spends $3.7 trillion on healthcare, which equates to $1 trillion in administrative waste. With this in mind, my prediction is that generative AI will transform healthcare, fundamentally changing the cost trajectory of the industry. The technology will be used to create efficiencies in claim management and summarisation, turn unstructured data into insights and spot patterns to predict at-risk patients, and create new diagnosis and prevention checkpoints.” – Amit Khanna, SVP & GM, Health & Life Sciences, Salesforce

3. AI will help fight the climate crisis.

“2023 has been a frightening year for our planet. And yet, we have promising AI-powered solutions for both climate change mitigation and climate adaptation. WeaveGrid deploys machine learning to optimally orchestrate EV charging for utilities, automakers, and drivers, while Pano AI uses AI to detect wildfires earlier.” – Claudine Emeott, Partner, Salesforce Ventures

4. Sustainability reporting standards will grow up — and AI will be a key part of the process.

“Companies will increasingly face a global web of more rigorous standards due to new climate-related reporting requirements — from the recently passed SB 253 in California to the upcoming SEC climate disclosure rule to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. AI will be a crucial tool to help businesses meet these standards while reducing the burden of sustainability reporting.” – Suzanne DiBianca, EVP and Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce

More information

• Find more Salesforce news and insights on artificial intelligence here
• Looking for data on generative AI? Check out our library of statistics
• Read Salesforce’s take on the U.S. Executive Order on AI