Salesforce (CRM) Is Turning the AI Threat into an Opportunity

Salesforce (CRM) is framing AI as a growth lever despite investor doubts about disruption risk. IDC’s Worldwide Semiannual Software Tracker (released mid-2026) still shows Salesforce as the clear CRM leader with more than 20% market share. Yet the stock has lost over 16% of market value across the past five years, even as revenue climbed from about $8.4 billion in FY 2017 to nearly $44 billion in the 12 months through Q2 FY 2027. Shares are up nearly 40% in recent months, but the five-year decline remains. The article cites AI-driven commoditization and per-seat pricing pressure, and highlights Microsoft’s integrated stack as a key competitive threat.