Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff warns AI could harm children without urgent regulation

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff

• Marc Benioff urges governments to regulate AI to protect children from harm
• He warns AI risks repeating social media's mistakes if left unregulated
• Benioff stresses AI benefits but calls for strict youth protection safeguards

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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has issued a strong warning to the global technology industry, urging governments to regulate artificial intelligence before it causes lasting harm to children. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, Benioff said the world risks repeating the same mistakes made during the early rise of social media, when platforms grew rapidly with little oversight.

Benioff described artificial intelligence as both powerful and dangerous, stressing that while it is driving economic growth and innovation, it must not be allowed to operate without strict safeguards. He said the lack of regulation around AI mirrors the unregulated expansion of social media platforms more than a decade ago, a period he believes has already damaged an entire generation of young users.

In a post shared on X, Benioff said that evidence now clearly shows children need protection from emerging technologies. He added that AI is fuelling global growth, but warned that this progress should not come at the expense of child safety. The Salesforce chief reshared a clip from a Bloomberg interview conducted during WEF 2026, where he elaborated on his concerns.

Benioff drew direct comparisons between today’s AI boom and the early days of social media. He recalled publicly warning about the dangers of social platforms as far back as 2018, noting that governments were slow to respond. According to him, it took years for meaningful changes such as age restrictions and parental controls to be introduced in many countries.

He said that AI is currently being released into the world with almost no regulation, despite its ability to influence behaviour, shape beliefs, and generate content at an unprecedented scale. In his view, this lack of oversight is particularly troubling when children are exposed to these systems without adequate protections in place.

Benioff pointed out that many governments have now taken steps to regulate social media, including restricting access for younger users and enforcing stronger controls. However, he warned that these measures came only after significant harm had already occurred. He argued that policymakers now have a chance to act earlier with AI and prevent similar outcomes.

A major concern highlighted by Benioff is the problem of hallucinations in generative AI systems. These occur when AI models confidently generate false, misleading, or inappropriate information. He said such technical instability makes AI especially risky for younger users, who may lack the ability to critically assess whether the information they are seeing is accurate or safe.

Despite his warnings, Benioff was careful to strike a balanced tone. He acknowledged that AI is an incredible and transformative technology with enormous potential to improve productivity, creativity, and economic growth. However, he stressed that its limitations, including inaccuracy and difficulty in control, cannot be ignored.

His comments come at a time when Salesforce itself is aggressively integrating AI into its products and services. Benioff has repeatedly said that AI is playing a major role in the company’s growth strategy, helping it remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Even so, he insisted that commercial success should not override ethical responsibility.