Salesforce Japan on August 7 launched the Japanese-language version of Agentforce Voice, a voice conversation feature for its Agentforce AI platform. The release targets contact center labor shortages and long phone wait times, which have pushed Japanese businesses toward AI voice automation.
Phone calls remain a major customer contact channel, but long wait times and standardized interactive voice response systems can hurt the experience. Labor shortages at Japanese contact centers have made the problem worse, increasing demand for AI-driven voice automation.
What Agentforce Voice does
Agentforce Voice works as a native voice layer on existing IVR systems. It combines low-latency transcription and realistic speech synthesis with customer data from Data 360 and operational data in CRM systems. Beyond answering questions, the system can update CRM records, create cases, trigger workflows, and connect with APIs through the voice channel.
The product can autonomously escalate calls to staff, process orders, and change reservations based on customer conversations. It works with cloud telephony platforms, so companies can add AI voice responses without replacing existing phone infrastructure.
Japanese-specific voice tech
For the Japanese version, Salesforce adopted Koto, a voice foundation model from Kotoba Technologies, a Salesforce Ventures portfolio company. Koto provides ultra-low-latency speech-to-text and text-to-speech tailored to Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, supporting more natural Japanese voice interactions.
Kotoba CEO Hiroyuki Kojima said in a statement: "Japanese requires voice AI systems to handle honorific language, spoken expressions and context-dependent nuance." He said Kotoba would work with Salesforce on the Japanese rollout to help companies provide more natural and reliable customer experiences.
Rollout and integrations
The Japanese version became available August 7 and will roll out to customer environments sequentially. Salesforce has begun integrations with Genesys and Comdesign's CT-e1/SaaS cloud CTI service. CTI, or computer telephony integration, links telephone systems with contact center business software.
From the Summer '26 release in June 2026, Agentforce Voice can also be embedded in digital channels such as websites and mobile apps. Salesforce is building a partner ecosystem with AGREX, Givery, Globalway, TerraSky, and Flect. Other languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish, are planned, with some in beta.
Why this matters for customer support teams
Agentforce Voice doesn't just read scripts. It updates CRM records, creates cases, and escalates to staff when a conversation requires a human. That shifts the supervisor role from managing high call volumes to handling exceptions AI can't resolve. Call center supervisors adapting to these systems can find structured training in the AI Learning Path for Call Center Supervisors.
The integration with existing IVR and CTI infrastructure means teams can add AI voice without replacing phone systems. Support teams tracking AI voice developments can follow the AI for Customer Support tag for related coverage. The Japanese deployment will be worth watching, since Salesforce plans to expand Agentforce Voice to English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
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