By Ashley Stewart
Publication Date: 2026-04-07 09:05:00
On the eve of Salesforce‘s latest earnings report, CEO Marc Benioff invited Workday CEO Aneel Bhusri over for drinks.
Both men run companies squarely in the blast radius of a debate that has taken hold across Silicon Valley and Wall Street: Will artificial intelligence be the death knell for some of the most influential companies in Big Tech?
The question has already rattled the sector: Microsoft‘s stock has dropped more than 21% this year, Salesforce’s 26%, Workday’s 36%, and Asana’s 51%. The IGV, a benchmark for software stocks, is down nearly 22% year to date. It’s also shaking credit markets, as investors become more cautious about lending to tech companies.
It’s a fight-for-your-life era in Big Software.
The key issue is whether AI-assisted coding will become so powerful that companies won’t need these providers, or if instead software companies’ new products, shifting pricing strategy, and longterm reliability can keep customers hooked….