Salesforce Bets Big on AI for Healthcare, But Wall Street Wants Proof

SAN FRANCISCO—Salesforce is pushing its Agentforce AI platform deeper into the healthcare sector, announcing a new integration with medical AI firm Viz.ai. The move is part of a broader strategy to embed autonomous software agents into business workflows, but it hasn’t fully convinced investors concerned about the company’s growth trajectory.

The Viz.ai service, launched in mid-January, allows pharmaceutical companies to access real-time clinical trial data directly within Salesforce’s system. It’s one of several healthcare-focused partnerships for Agentforce, following an earlier integration by Ellipsis Health for voice-based mental health screening. CEO Marc Benioff has promoted these deals, along with customer successes like publisher Wiley & Sons, as evidence that Agentforce is a serious contender in the competitive enterprise AI field.

Technically, the platform combines large language models with traditional rule-based systems, aiming for precision. Recent deployments, such as at Italian toll operator Telepass and airline Finnair, show reductions in call-handling times and improvements in service accuracy. Salesforce’s Data Cloud business, which feeds these AI agents, has been a standout performer.

Despite these developments, Salesforce’s stock price tells a story of caution. Shares, trading around $228, are down for the year. While the company’s revenue guidance for fiscal 2026 sits at $40.9 billion, some analysts question whether Agentforce can meaningfully accelerate growth after a period of slowdown. Reviews from financial outlets note that the AI initiative remains relatively small and unproven at the scale needed to justify the company’s premium valuation.

As Salesforce executives prepare to speak at industry conferences, the challenge is clear: translate promising pilot projects and technical demonstrations into widespread, revenue-generating use. The company’s vast customer base in CRM provides a natural advantage, but in a market also pursued by Microsoft and others, execution over the coming months will determine if this AI bet pays off.

Source: Webpronews