Dreamforce 2026 | Salesforce CEO Benioff unveils ‘AIForce’ as protesters demand end to ICE contracts

On September 15, 2026, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff unveiled 'AIForce' at the company's annual Dreamforce convention in San Francisco, amidst protests against the tech giant's contracts with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The event featured a Hawaiian blessing, a performance by singer Gwen Stefani, and two enterprise AI ads starring Matthew McConaughey.

Benioff positioned AIForce as an "interface revolution," promising dynamic, intelligent, composable, and live AI interfaces. He emphasized that AI models alone cannot run an enterprise, as models are probabilistic and lack the enterprise context and governance already present in Salesforce's systems. The new offering ensures zero data retention and refutes reports of client data being used to build other AI products.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined the session, discussing AI safety and industry standards. Amodei emphasized the need for global, industry-wide safety standards and expressed surprise at the rapid growth of AI among businesses. He called for transparency and investment in safety measures. Huang, on the other hand, argued that companies should self-regulate and ensure product safety before release, rejecting the notion that market forces should dictate AI development.

The protesters outside the Moscone Center voiced their concerns, demanding an end to Salesforce's contracts with ICE and better AI safety practices.