AI Disruption Fears Persist as Salesforce Holds Steady and Gushwork Bets on AI Search

Investor anxiety around AI disruption in enterprise software refuses to fade, even as recent results from Salesforce suggest the feared shock has not yet materialised. A fresh CNBC analysis highlights a growing disconnect between market fears and on-ground performance, at the same time that startups like Gushwork are positioning themselves for what they believe is the next phase of search.

The Signal From Salesforce

Recent coverage indicates that while concerns about AI reshaping the software industry remain intense, the impact is not clearly visible in Salesforce’s fundamentals. Wall Street has been nervous about the possibility that AI-native platforms could erode traditional SaaS models, but so far the feared collapse has not shown up in revenue performance.

At the same time, software stocks have struggled to shake off the narrative that generative AI could reduce demand for legacy enterprise tools. Investors worry that productivity gains from AI may eventually compress the need for traditional software subscriptions, even though adoption remains early.

Salesforce leadership has consistently pushed back on the most extreme predictions, arguing that AI is more likely to enhance SaaS platforms than replace them outright. Still, the market mood remains cautious, reflecting uncertainty about how quickly enterprise buyers will shift spending toward AI-native solutions.

Why the Fear Has Not Gone Away

The core tension is timing. AI innovation is moving fast, but enterprise adoption is uneven. Even Salesforce executives have acknowledged that customer readiness often lags behind the pace of AI development.

This creates a strange market dynamic.

On one hand, current financials do not yet show a collapse in traditional software demand. On the other, investors are trying to price in a future where AI agents automate large portions of knowledge work. The result is persistent volatility across the SaaS sector.

Enter Gushwork’s AI Search Bet

While large incumbents defend their territory, startups are already building for the next discovery layer. Gushwork’s newly announced 9 million dollar seed round, at a reported 33 million dollar valuation, is aimed squarely at this shift.

The company’s thesis is straightforward but ambitious. As user behaviour moves from classic search engines toward conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, brands must optimise not just for Google rankings but for AI answer inclusion.

This is what Gushwork calls search-led marketing.

What the Funding Is Meant to Unlock

According to the company’s positioning, the new capital will be used to expand its AI agent infrastructure. These agents are designed to:

• Generate and continuously refresh SEO content
• Build structured backlink networks
• Optimise brand visibility inside AI answer boxes
• Track inbound leads through a proprietary CMS

The pitch reflects a broader industry shift. Traditional SEO focused on blue-link rankings. The emerging battleground is citation visibility inside AI responses.

How Gushwork Claims It Works

Gushwork says its system operates through a network-driven content and authority engine.

Per client, the platform reportedly:

• Produces and updates SEO content automatically
• Secures roughly 10 to 20 backlinks
• Uses a partner network of 200 to 300 sites
• Monitors lead attribution through its own CMS

The goal is not just traffic volume but placement inside high-intent AI answers.

Early Performance Signals

The most interesting data point from Gushwork’s early customers is the traffic-to-lead gap.

The company reports that:

• About 20 percent of customer traffic now comes from AI-driven search
• Roughly 40 percent of leads originate from those AI surfaces

If accurate, this suggests significantly higher buyer intent from AI discovery compared with traditional search. It also helps explain why venture money is flowing into AI visibility tooling despite uncertainty in the broader SaaS market.

The Bigger Strategic Picture

Put together, the Salesforce story and the Gushwork raise highlight two different time horizons in the AI transition.

Large incumbents are still proving that AI will enhance their existing revenue engines rather than cannibalise them. Startups, meanwhile, are building infrastructure for a world where AI assistants become the primary discovery layer.

Both narratives can be true at the same time.

In the near term, traditional SaaS demand remains intact. In the medium term, the mechanics of how buyers discover software, services, and content may change dramatically.

What to Watch Next

Several signals will determine whether Gushwork’s thesis plays out.

First is user behaviour. If conversational AI continues to capture more discovery queries, optimisation for AI answers will become a core marketing discipline.

Second is attribution clarity. Brands will need reliable ways to measure whether AI mentions actually drive revenue.

Third is platform policy risk. If major AI providers change citation behaviour or reduce external linking, the entire optimisation layer could shift overnight.

Bottom Line

AI disruption has not yet broken the SaaS model, but the industry is clearly repositioning for what comes next. Salesforce’s steady fundamentals suggest the transition will be gradual, not sudden. At the same time, Gushwork’s funding shows that investors are already betting on a future where ranking inside AI answers matters as much as ranking on Google.

The companies that win the next phase of search will likely be those that understand both worlds and move early enough to bridge them.