Salesforce opens London AI Centre as UK public sector moves from pilots to large-scale deployment
UK government and public service organisations have moved beyond experimental AI projects into operational deployment at scale, Salesforce said as it opened a new London facility focused on AI development.
The company announced the centre on Wednesday as part of a previously disclosed £6 billion UK investment over five years. Zahra Bahrololoumi, Salesforce's UK and Ireland CEO, said the facility would serve as a hub for public sector organisations, enterprises and startups to build practical AI capability.
"We've moved past pilots. We're now in the era of execution and execution at scale," Bahrololoumi said. The investment will focus on AI agents and automation rather than infrastructure such as datacentres.
Police forces deploying AI to handle public enquiries
Three UK police forces are already using Salesforce AI agents for government services to resolve 82 percent of non-urgent public enquiries without involving a human officer, according to the company.
One example is "Ask Em", an AI assistant designed to help frontline police officers access operational guidance and victim support information quickly. Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Claire Hammond said the tool addresses a practical problem: ensuring consistent guidance across 43 police forces and thousands of officers, particularly during overnight incidents when specialist support may not be available.
"We're putting in the tool all of the tools that they need as frontline officers, but in empathetic language, so that when they ask Em, they get the right language back of how to speak to a victim," Hammond said.
The National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection are also using Salesforce AI agents to support frontline services and improve access to information.
Trust and accessibility will determine success
Bahrololoumi said public trust and accessibility would determine whether the UK realises the full economic potential of AI. She welcomed the government's AI Action Plan and proposals for a cross-economy AI sandbox in the King's Speech, arguing the approach could accelerate adoption in critical sectors including government.
"To truly realise AI's potential, we must ensure that innovation is trusted and accessible to all," she said.
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