SAN FRANCISCO – Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box, stated at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference on Wednesday that AI agents are unlikely to fully replace enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. Instead, Levie posited that the industrial sector is heading towards a hybrid model combining SaaS with AI agents.
During his address, Levie emphasized the necessity for deterministic systems in core business processes. He noted, "Generally, once you have a business process, you want to be able to define that in, effectively, business logic with deterministic systems—just because the risk of that changing any given day is very high." Levie highlighted concerns regarding potential data leaks or unexpected operational impacts when AI agents manage mission-critical tasks, advocating for a clear separation between deterministic software functions and non-deterministic agent capabilities.
This envisioned future positions SaaS for managing fundamental business workflows, with AI agents operating as an overlay. According to Levie, these agents would facilitate decision-making, automate routine processes, and accelerate user interactions within existing systems. He projected a future where AI agents outnumber human users, estimating "100 times more, maybe 1,000 times more, agents than we have people" interacting with enterprise software.
Such a shift, Levie indicated, would fundamentally alter the traditional per-seat business model prevalent in enterprise SaaS. Companies would transition to consumption and volume-oriented pricing structures to accommodate the widespread deployment of AI agents. He identified this transformation as a substantial market opportunity, particularly for startups developing solutions for an "agent-first era" rather than larger firms attempting to integrate agents into legacy systems.
Levie explained that smaller startups, lacking existing business processes, are uniquely positioned to design new workflows that inherently incorporate AI agents. This scenario, he concluded, creates a "complete platform shift happening in tech" comparable to opportunities seen 15 years prior, presenting an opening for new companies to emerge and deliver enterprise solutions that streamline change management processes.
