• AI agent platforms could push down SaaS license costs, report argues Citrini Research imagines a future where software tools and expertise are rendered obsolete while AI unleashes job losses and economic chaos. • A suggestion by Anthropic that its Claude Code tool could be used to automate themodernization of an antediluvian programming language, COBOL, still an important sideline for IBM six decades after it was first deployed, sent IBM stock tumbling on Monday. • The company suffered a 13.2%  drop in its stock price, its biggest fall since the dot com period a quarter of a century ago. • But IBM is not the only company suffering because of the AI hype. • Across a swathe of SaaS companies,a state of near panicseems to be spreading as the potential of AI to automate software creation and management starts emerge. • Salesforce, Atlassian, ServiceNow, and Snowflake have all seen heavy selling in an event one trading company melodramatically dubbed the “SaaSpocalypse.” But according to a hypothetical scenario inThe 2028 Global Intelligence Crisisproposed by Citrini Research and co-authorAlap Shahof Lotus Technology Management, things could soon get a lot worse for SaaS companies, and beyond them, for the wider US and global economies.

Article Summaries:

  • Citrini Research’s latest report warns that AI‑powered agent platforms could erode the value of SaaS subscriptions, potentially forcing vendors to slash prices. The analysis cites IBM’s 13.2 % stock plunge after Anthropic’s Claude Code was suggested to modernise COBOL, and notes heavy selling in companies such as Salesforce, Atlassian, ServiceNow and Snowflake-an event dubbed the “SaaSpocalypse.” The report projects that by 2028 AI agents will automate many SaaS tasks, reducing customer demand and weakening the subscription model. While some industry observers remain skeptical about AI’s ability to fully replace SaaS functions, the report highlights growing concern that AI could reshape the software‑as‑a‑service market and its pricing dynamics.

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