Artificial Intelligence has officially arrived in the Salesforce ecosystem, and architects are among its earliest adopters. Our latest SF Ben survey shows that a remarkable 88.9% of Salesforce Architects are already using AI in some form, whether regularly or on an ad hoc basis.
But while usage is high, confidence is not keeping pace. A significant 32.6% of Architects say they feel behind their peers when it comes to AI skills and knowledge. That should prompt us all to look closely at how AI is being used, what’s working, and what’s holding architects back from reaching their full potential in this space.
Productivity Is Real, But So Are the Gaps
The majority of Salesforce Architects are using various AI tools, with the most popular being ChatGPT (86.3%) and Google Gemini (43.5%).
Among those using AI, the results are overwhelmingly positive. 66.1% of respondents believe AI is making them more productive. The top benefits speak for themselves:
- Increased productivity (73.1%)
- Faster access to information (65.4%)
- Greater efficiency (57.1%)
Architects are seeing real value, especially in areas where AI helps streamline research, documentation, and solution design.
However, despite these clear benefits, confidence in architecting solutions with Agentforce remains mixed. Respondents reported an average confidence level of just 54.4%, indicating that many Salesforce Architects still feel unsure about designing AI-powered solutions within the platform. This points to a significant gap between AI’s potential and its practical application. The question is no longer whether AI adds value – it clearly does. The real question is whether architects feel equipped to integrate it effectively into their Salesforce solutions.
What’s Holding Architects Back?
There are several key barriers preventing broader, more confident adoption:
- Cost topped the list, with 21.3% citing it as the biggest blocker.
- Accuracy concerns followed at 18.3%.
- And skills and knowledge were next at 17%, suggesting that many architects still feel they lack the training needed to use Salesforce AI with confidence.
On top of that, nearly half of all architects (48.9%) expressed concerns about AI and security.
How Do Architects Compare to Their Peers?
The most striking insight from the survey might be this: while 41.3% of Architects feel their AI knowledge is about average, only 17.8% believe they are ahead. The 32.6% who feel behind may not be lacking interest or ability. They are more likely to be battling time constraints and shifting priorities.
As Alejandra Sivori, Founder of Cloudha, put it:
“Architects are often in high demand. The workload on projects leaves little room for upskilling in areas like AI. Salesforce needs to bring all architects on board with architect-specific best practices and well-architected frameworks.”
Her point is spot on. The architecture community needs guidance tailored to its role, not just general AI tools, but frameworks that support secure, scalable AI solutions built within the platform.
Summary
Salesforce Architects are uniquely positioned to lead the AI transformation. They are already shaping system strategy, data models, and automation logic. But to do this confidently, they need:
- Targeted enablement resources.
- Clear best practices for implementing AI within Salesforce.
- Support from leadership to invest in their own upskilling.
The good news is that the foundation is already there. Architects are using AI. They see the benefits. What’s needed now is a concerted push to close the knowledge gap, improve tooling, and remove adoption barriers.
