Salesforce wants to charge for AI outcomes, but first it needs to figure out how

Salesforce is exploring new pricing models for its AI offerings, following a significant global outage during its Dreamforce conference. The company's Headless Toolkit, unveiled at Dreamforce, allows AI agents and APIs to perform tasks without the need for human users, challenging the traditional per-user licensing model. Salesforce's executive vice president and general manager of CRM applications, Bill Patterson, stated that the company is developing a new pricing structure that aligns with the benefits customers gain from AI technology.

Outcome-based pricing, where AI agents are charged based on the cases they resolve, is a potential solution but may not suit all use cases. Salesforce is also testing bundles and Flex Credits to charge customers based on consumption. The company's deputy CFO, Mike Spencer, described the attempts at different pricing structures as an "anxiety-filled architecture" as Salesforce navigates the complexities of charging for AI agents rather than human users.

While outcome-based pricing is expected to become more prevalent by 2030, Salesforce CFO Mike Spencer expects it to take three to five years to become a significant portion of revenue. PwC, a global consulting firm with a Salesforce alliance, anticipates outcome-based pricing becoming more common and is already offering customers outcome-based pricing through gain-sharing or risk-and-reward agreements.