Agentforce

Introducing AI agents, the groundbreaking third wave of AI's integration in the workforce

Agentforce: Harnessing the Agency of AI to Scale, Grow, and Lead Any Industry tells you how companies can create and control their own AI agents and build a virtual workforce. It goes behind-the-scenes on how Salesforce built a platform to drive AI agents, solving problems like hallucinations and bias through a framework that gives agents strict roles, data sources, actions, guardrails and channels to reach customers. This book draws from extensive research and exclusive access to Salesforce's leaders and their ambitious plan to dominate the race to develop and own the AI agent space.

In this book, readers will find information on:

• AI agents as a "third wave" of AI development that goes far beyond simple chatbots and "co-pilots" through harmonized data, Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and Salesforce's innovative Atlas Reasoning Engine
• Steps to develop prompt guidance, topic creation (areas of work), explicit instructions, and a menu of actions allowed
• Salesforce customers, such as Saks and OpenTable, that are already using AI agents with success
• The effects of AI and automation on the job market

Agentforce: Harnessing the Agency of AI to Scale, Grow, and Lead Any Industry is an indispensable, forward-thinking resource on the subject for all leaders in business seeking to supercharge their organizations' initiatives through the latest developments in a rapidly advancing field.

Foreword by Marc Benioff ix

The Five Attributes of an AI Agent xiii

Author’s Note xv

Agentforce Kickoff, San Francisco xix

1 Call My Agent! 1

2 What Is Agentforce, Anyway? 5

3 How Does Agentforce Actually Work? 13

4 What Are Some Useful Things You Can Do with Agents? 27

5 Do You Need a Platform to Do Agents (and What’s a Platform, Anyway)? 35

6 Are Agents Really Different from Chatbots and Co-pilots? 45

7 What Are the Different Parts of Agentforce? 55

8 What Is the Einstein Trust Layer, and Why Do You Need It? 63

9 Why Do You Need Data Cloud for Agentforce? 69

10 What Is RAG, and Why Should I Care? 81

11 What Is the Atlas Reasoning Engine? 89

12 How Do You Control an Agent and Give It Orders? 99

13 How Do You Test an Agent in a Sandbox? 111

14 What Are Some of the Prebuilt Agentforce Agents? 119

15 How Do You Build a Custom Agent from Scratch? 133

16 What Is the Best Way to Come Up with Ideas for Agents? 143

17 How “Human” Should Your AI Agent Be? 157

18 How Do You Make Sure AI Is Governed? 161

19 How Do You Build a Business Case for Agentforce? 169

20 So What Are We Humans Going to Do Now? 177

21 How Can I Get Started with Agentforce and Learn More? 183

22 So What Was This Book All About, Anyway? 187

Endnotes 193

About the Author 207

Index 209

MARTIN KIHN is an AI strategist at Salesforce and a former Gartner VP. He is the author of five books including House of Lies, which was adapted into a Showtime series, and Customer 360 (with Andrea Chen Lin). His work has been published in Forbes, GQ, New York, US and the New York Times.

In Agentforce: Harnessing the Agency of AI to Scale, Grow, and Lead Any Industry, writer and AI strategist Martin Kihn delivers a startlingly insightful exploration of how companies can create and control their own AI agents and build a virtual workforce. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Salesforce, a global leader in enterprise software, built a platform to create AI agents capable of supercharging your organization’s productivity.

You’ll learn how to solve long-standing problems, like hallucinations and bias, with a framework that gives agents strict roles, data sources, actions, guardrails, and channels to reach customers. Agentforce draws on extensive research and exclu­sive access to Salesforce’s leaders, outlining their ambitious plan to win the race to develop and own the AI agent space.

Kihn walks you through why AI agents are the “third wave” of AI development, one that goes far beyond simple chatbots and co-pilots, with harmonized data, Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and Salesforce’s innovative Atlas Reasoning Engine. He provides step-by-step guidance to develop prompt guidance, topic creation, explicit instructions, and a menu of allowable actions.

The book includes expansive case studies from Salesforce customers, like Saks and OpenTable, that are already using AI agents to streamline operations and expand their capabilities. It also explores the potential impact of artificial intelligence and automation on the job market.

Perfect for managers, executives, and other business leaders, Agentforce is an indispensable and forward-thinking treatment of artificial intelligence agents as a tool for supercharging your company’s most promising initiatives.

Praise for Agentforce

“The true complexity of AI agents isn’t in their individual capabilities, but in orchestrating their interactions within a real-world ecosystem. In this book, Martin Kihn brilliantly explains this complexity and breaks it down into steps that practitioners can actually implement.”
—KATRIN RIBANT, Co-Founder, Datorama; CEO, Ask-Y

“Martin Kihn is a visionary voice in AI-driven customer engagement, and Agentforce is his most compelling work yet. Rich with actionable insights, vivid storytelling, and practical examples from leading companies, this book reveals how AI agents are redefining customer relationships and transforming the workplace. If you want to understand—and harness—the future of intelligent automation, start here.”
—BOBBY JANIA, CMO, Salesforce Marketing Cloud

“In Agentforce, Martin Kihn unpacks why AI agents are essential for marketers, sales teams, and enterprises, transforming how brands connect, convert, and serve customers at scale. With real-world insights and a roadmap for implementation, this book is your guide to harnessing AI agents for competitive advantage. Don’t just observe the future—activate it.”
—GREG STUART, CEO, MMA Global; Co-host, Decoding AI for Marketing podcast

“AI is the catalyst for a complete reimagination of business, leadership, and human potential. With Agentforce, Martin Kihn has created the ultimate strategic guide for executives ready to harness AI’s power, transform their organizations, and lead with vision in the era of intelligent automation.”
—JOYDEEP DEY, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, Publicis Groupe

“The AI-first economy presents a great opportunity for businesses to thrive by embracing a hybrid workforce of humans and AI agents working together. In Agentforce, Martin Kihn provides a definitive business playbook to help your company use digital labor and future-proof operations. By implementing these strategies, you can unlock unprecedented levels of speed, productivity, and trust in your organization.”
—VALA AFSHAR, Chief Digital Evangelist, Salesforce