Salesforce unveils AI tools for Australian government expansion

Salesforce has announced new developments in artificial intelligence adoption, product offerings for government agencies, and expansion within the Australian market.

The Global AI Readiness Index, commissioned by Salesforce and developed by AI Policy Lab and Access Partnerships, has positioned Australia seventh among 16 assessed countries for AI readiness. The report took into account factors such as AI governance, digital infrastructure, and the engagement of public and private sectors in technology adoption.

Top-ranked countries in the Index include the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom. These countries were recognised for coordinating AI strategies across institutions, fostering advanced digital frameworks, and pursuing active collaboration between government and industry for the integration of emerging technologies. Australia earned a positive rating for piloting AI applications within public services and its policy approach, but the Index noted areas needing further development, particularly in domestic research and capital mobilisation.

"Australia has a huge opportunity to use agentic AI to deliver productivity improvements for greater business growth and improved government services," said Sassoon Grigorian, Vice President Government Affairs, Salesforce APAC. "The establishment of a National Office of AI could align strategy across government, industry, and education and training institutions to build momentum with trust. Australia should also consider establishing an AI Safety Institute like other countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Korea."

The Index was based on six criteria: relevance, accessibility, coverage, timeliness, consistency and transparency. Data were collected and analysed with the aim of ensuring a neutral, evidence-based perspective, according to the report authors.

Public sector focus

In response to opportunities identified within the government sector, Salesforce has launched Agentforce for Public Sector. The offering is designed to support government staff through a set of digital labour tools, consisting of autonomous, intelligent AI agents capable of managing complicated and repetitive tasks within preset guidelines.

Agentforce for Public Sector enables government departments to provide faster, more responsive services by allowing AI agents to assist both employees and citizens. This technology aims to reduce employee workloads on routine tasks, allowing public sector staff to focus on objectives deemed critical to their respective agencies.

Salesforce confirmed that Agentforce recently completed the Independent Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) assessment and received PROTECTED status. This ensures that the product meets the Australian Government's highest requirements for managing sensitive information.

"Australian governments are working to unlock new levels of productivity and efficiency while maintaining the highest levels of trust and security. We're focused on helping public sector departments to achieve both," said Glenn Rozet, Senior Vice President, Public Sector ANZ, Salesforce. "We're working to deliver a future where government frontline services have the data insights, they need to anticipate customer needs and the AI tools to improve productivity and deliver 24/7 digital-first support."

Agentforce for Public Sector is currently available, with features including Compliance Management, Complaint Management, and Recruitment Management. Additional capabilities such as Recommend Job Position, Apply for Benefits, and Complaints Filing are planned for release in October 2025.

Canberra expansion

As part of a continued focus on the Australian market, Salesforce has relocated its Canberra operation to a new office in Barton. This expansion is part of an effort to build capacity to support public sector requirements for digital transformation and customer outcomes.

"In the era of the Agentic Enterprise, our vision for real estate is to create the right spaces and experiences that empower humans, agents, and robots working together to accelerate strategic growth," said Relina Bulchandani, Executive Vice President Real Estate & Workplace Services, Salesforce. "This expansion will help our local public sector teams deliver new levels of innovation and customer success in the region."

Salesforce has made a public commitment to investment in the Australia and New Zealand region, targeting technology adoption in both private and government settings. Its latest developments are positioned as extensions of its efforts to assist government agencies in delivering secure and digitised services to citizens and businesses.