Vala Afshar, Salesforce digital evangelist, visited the Mobile World Congress this week at the invitation of the president of Telefónica, José María Álvarez-Pallete, for whom she feels “great reverence, because he is a visionary, he is a technician and a data scientist.” ”. She preaches that entrepreneurs be guided by social good, the best way to prosper.
You propose that companies catalyze social changes that reduce injustices.
At a conference at the MWC they said that there are 3.4 billion people who do not have access to the internet still today, out of a total of 8 billion, and companies like us and our clients will be needed to help adoption, because it is difficult to find access to education and work if you do not have access to the internet.
¿Why is it so important?
If you have access to the internet, you have access to affordable education. I learn on the internet every day. A younger version of me would have had many more opportunities if I had a computer in my pocket.
How have you seen the Mobile World Congress?
It's amazing to see so many companies working to improve society with technology, but many of the conversations were about humanity and making sure we use technology to advance society.
What has been talked about the most at the MWC is AI. Do you understand why many people are afraid?
I am optimistic. The most notable people I know, those who invent the future, are optimists. The pessimist may seem smarter, but it is the optimists who build the future. It is our responsibility to ensure that AI is used in a positive way.
Aren't you afraid?
It shouldn't be scary. If I were a venture capitalist, and you came to me 15 years ago, and said, 'Okay, invest in my startup.' I would ask what your startup is: Strangers get into strangers' cars and go from one point to another (Uber).
What changed?
The dominant logic was that we were never going to put our customers' most important data outside the walls of our company. Nobody thought that cloud computing was so secure, robust and flexible. And now, look: they are the most valuable companies on Earth. That is the challenge of AI. People think should I trust the machine or a human? The biggest challenge will be getting comfortable working in an environment where intelligent software guides you along the way.
When will it happen?
My son is 13 years old, but when he leaves university in 10 years, he will work alongside a digital employee. His boss could be a digital employee.
But people will be replaced.
That's not what you should be worried about. They may be more susceptible to being replaced by someone human who is more comfortable with AI.
What jobs will remain?
You and I love our jobs. I'm sure you'll never get bored. How many people really have that privilege? We should give people the opportunity to reach their full potential. That's a beautiful part of what AI can do.
And what do we do with bad actors?
In the eight years I've been with the company, more than a million people a year have applied to work at Salesforce. Our founders decided that the digital divide exists and continues to grow due to lack of education. So we offered the training at no cost. Minimize bad actors by being more generous, more giving, and the world will reciprocate.
Is the message for executives “be good”?
Values create value. Business executives like José María –Álvarez-Pallete–, and I'm sorry to sound like the president of your fan club, lead with the heart. They are businesses that exist to make money. This is obvious, but there are ways to live a commendable life. What is the definition of brand? Your brand, Francesc, is what we will say about you when you are not in the room.
There are also companies that wash their image with social issues.
Seven or eight years ago, a couple of Salesforce executives discovered that women at the company were not receiving the same pay as men for the same work. Our founder believed that could not be true. We are the most admired company, but in fact, we did not pay women the same. When you make a mistake, he raises his hand and acknowledges it. If you say you're going to fix it, you can gain a lot of confidence by sharing your lessons, even when you fall and have to get back up.
