Salesforce.com, inc. | Dual-Use and Defense Technologies at Salesforce.com, inc.

Status
Omitted
Previous AGM date
Resolution details
Company ticker
CRM
Lead filer
Open MIC (Open Media and Information Companies Initiative)
Resolution ask
Report on or disclose
ESG theme
  • Social
ESG sub-theme
  • Conflict and/or violence
  • Digital rights
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Technology
Company HQ country
United States
Resolved clause
Resolved: Shareholders request that the Board issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting proprietary or legally privileged information, to be updated annually, that summarizes the companys dual-use and military AI projects.
Whereas clause
Shareholders are concerned that Salesforce?s sales of ?dual-use? and defense technologies that employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) could expose the Company to significant legal, financial and reputational risk. In 2025 Salesforce launched Missionforce, an offering that leverages AI to improve defense and national security operations. A Salesforce executive said: ?The goal is simple: to help our warfighters and the organizations that support them operate smarter, faster, and more efficiently.?1 Salesforce also has investments in AI firms with military and defense contracts and partnerships.2 3 Dual-use and military applications employing AI have many known risks. AI has inherent error rates, which are amplified in unpredictable environments like a battlefield.4 The rapid speed of AI decision-making can outpace the ability to take precautions in preventing or minimizing harm to civilians, and it can increase the likelihood of conflict escalation.5 Even with a human in the loop, evidence suggests humans are more likely to defer to the judgments of machines in high stress environments.6 Potential legal liability is centered largely around compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL). Existing IHL obligations apply to the development and use of AI-enabled military capabilities ? and companies, corporate personnel, and executives can be liable under IHL for providing assistance to those committing abuses.7 Major defense contractors have been sued for allegedly abetting war crimes.8 Companies may be able to avoid liability if they can demonstrate adequate due diligence was taken.9 Salesforce?s Office of Ethical and Humane Use of Technology says it aims to understand ?the direct impacts of our products on the world and what relevant guardrails should be put in place for customer use.? It adds: ?We aim to protect people from direct harm from the use of our technology.?10 Allegations of Salesforce?s responsibility for the humanitarian consequences of military AI experimentation could harm its reputation and incite backlash from employees and investors.11 To assess exposure to these risks, investors need clear disclosure on Salesforce?s exposure to dual-use and military AI technologies and steps taken to mitigate legal liability and reputational harm.
Supporting statement
Shareholders recommend that the board and management, in their discretion, disclose relative financial commitments to these projects, any steps Salesforce is taking to mitigate the risks to operations and finances associated with these initiatives including whether and how the company integrates the risks described in this proposal into capital allocation and innovation decisions, with disclosure in such a report sufficient for investors to understand the company?s ongoing and anticipated investment and involvement pertaining to dual use and military AI projects. 1 https://theaieconomy.substack.com/p/salesforce-missionforce-national-security 2 https://salesforceventures.com/perspectives/anthropics-13b-series-f/ 3https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/01/amazon-alphabet-salesforce-back-databricks-at-28-billionvaluation. html#:~:text=David%20Paul%20Morris%20%7C%20Bloomberg%20%7C%20Getty,such%20as %20Salesforce%2Downed%20Tableau. 4https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/07/governing-military-ai-amid-a-geopoliticalminefield? lang=en ; https://opiniojuris.org/2024/04/04/symposium-on-military-ai-and-the-law-of-armedconflict- the-need-for-speed-the-cost-of-unregulated-ai-decision-support-systems-to-civilians/ 5https://opiniojuris.org/2024/04/04/symposium-on-military-ai-and-the-law-of-armed-conflict-the-need-forspeed- the-cost-of-unregulated-ai-decision-support-systems-to-civilians/ ; https://www.taylorwessing.com/en/interface/2025/defence-tech/ethics-and-regulation-of-ai-in-defencetechnology 6https://opiniojuris.org/2024/04/04/symposium-on-military-ai-and-the-law-of-armed-conflict-the-need-forspeed- the-cost-of-unregulated-ai-decision-support-systems-to-civilians/ 7https://opiniojuris.org/2025/04/07/the-role-of-business-in-war-a-different-defense-to-corporate-complicity-part-i-the-old-offense/; https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/updates/key-takeaways-military-ai-peace-security-dialogues-2025 8https://armstradelitigationmonitor.org/case/civil-complaint-by-yemeni-nationals-to-seek-injunctive-reliefand-damages/

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