Why Salesforce thinks AI makes offices matter more, not less

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has “never worked on anything more exciting” in his career than agentic AI.

The enterprise tech giant has bet big on AI agents, spending billions on its own Agentforce technologies, as well as investing in leading AI disruptors like ElevenLabs, Cohere, and Writer.

It is reaping the rewards, reporting record Q1 2027 results, primarily driven by Agentforce growth.

To power this innovation, Salesforce is also investing in its Real Estate portfolio.

The enterprise tech giant doesn’t see its 110 offices worldwide as a cost center, but as curators of innovation.

EVP of Real Estate and Workplace Services, Relina Bulchandani, believes “place matters even more than it did pre-pandemic” because of the impact on innovation.

She is overseeing the opening of Salesforce’s tenth tower in Bangalore, India later this year. Salesforce towers are not standard offices; they act as regional hubs for the tech company.

UNLEASH sat down with Bulchandani in-person at Salesforces’ new London campus, which houses its AI center, to discuss the importance of the office in the age of AI.

Allie Nawrat: In the age of AI, why do offices still matter?

Relina Bulchandani: We had this breaking point – the pandemic – where folks said: The future of work has changed.

We did the biggest social experiment in the world – virtual work – we tried it.

Now, six years later, I think place matters even more than it did pre-pandemic.

We can work virtually – but I think humans really want to gather and connect in person. We’re observing in our studies at Salesforce that people are coming in for the work and the people they engage with. There’s something magical about that.

The future of work gets so interesting because things are moving fast from a technology perspective. We’re in this AI world where skillsets, toolsets are moving so fast.

The offices now have to be really flexible and adaptable. They are where you get access to people and technology.

I never think of workplace in isolation, I always think about the technology that is going to enable it.

AN: At Salesforce, how are you rethinking your offices and workplaces for this AI-reality?

RB: First, we took a step back and embraced the Japanese concept of Shoshin - ‘a beginner’s mind’ - that our CEO loves to talk about.

What is the purpose of Real Estate? How do we earn the commute?

We fundamentally believe that place curates innovation. The goal of our offices is to really spur your creativity; it’s these human critical thinking skills that place also curates.

It’s about how humans fundamentally work, connect, collaborate and innovate – that’s where we are really spending time on.

The design is super intentional. Innovation doesn’t have to happen in a conference room or at a desk, it can happen in a network of spaces. It’s less about the office; it’s really about place.

My goal is for everything to be frictionless and easy; we want to make sure that when you’re in the office, you have places and experiences that really help you thrive.

If you need to do some heads down work, find the right cubicle. If you want to connect with someone, there’s intimate spaces for quick conversations without bothering others.

AI training and skills building is a big part of the design too – how can we create onboarding and training spaces?

For example, our Agentblazer Ranch in San Francisco is driving AI fluency [with] 1,500 employees in Q1 alone getting hands-on AI training. They're also driving business outcomes, with the Ranch supporting $2 million in business revenue in Q1.

The physical and digital come together. We’ve been so intentional with immersive technology combined with an adaptable, flexible workplace. The technology has to be completely ubiquitous.

AN: How does the physical and digital come together in Salesforce workplaces?

RB: Humans and AI agents navigate our spaces together – I work with our IT teams to make sure our technology is inclusive.

We’re using a lot of our own AI to manage operations: for facilities management, to schedule and plan events, to design future offices quicker, and to field questions from our employees like ‘Where do I find XYZ’, or ‘Is there parking?’

I get a lot of requests for off-sites, With the help of AI, I can tell someone, you don’t need to have an offsite in London, you can actually have it in Dublin [where] there’s a lot of space.

One of our mantras at Salesforce is humans + robots + AI. I’m super excited about the Cobalt robots we’re using for door jams, security and cleaning restrooms.

In the tower I reside in in San Francisco, we have over 200 door jams a day – about 80% of them are being taken care of by robots right now.

We did a pilot with robots cleaning restrooms. They got them fairly clean, [but] we still needed a human to wipe the mirrors down. I love that we’re trying new things.

The robots might come up to you and just ask for credentials in a very non-intrusive, non-threatening way. Just asking someone if they have a badge is so powerful – my folks can focus on other things.