Guest blog (Salesforce): Agentic AI - The Future of Work and Public Services

As our economy transitions to a digital-first future, fostering an environment where AI can drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness is paramount. In this context, the Tech Policy Conference 2025 on 10 March 2025 arrives at a pivotal moment, offering a crucial forum for policymakers to engage in discussions on AI-driven growth, workplace technologies, and the digital infrastructure needed to support this transformation. Discussions will take stock of recent developments such as the AI Opportunities Action Plan and reflect on the policies needed for trusted AI adoption across government and enterprise, equipping the workforce for the future.

Salesforce has been at the forefront of AI innovation for nearly a decade, prioritising trust and responsibility. The UK has played a key role in our journey, serving as the foundation for some of our most strategic investments, including the Salesforce AI Centre in London as part of our commitment to invest $4bn in our UK business over five year. Projections indicate that AI's economic impact in the UK could exceed US$1 trillion by 2035, and we are proud to be a part of this transformative evolution, steering AI as a force for positive change and growth.

Central to this transformation is agentic AI. Autonomous agents capable of making decisions and executing tasks are already shaping the future of businesses, enhancing productivity, and unlocking new economic opportunities. Enterprise AI is transforming businesses by empowering human workers and automating tasks with unmatched precision. With privacy, security, and accuracy at its core, it’s reshaping the workplace. As AI agents evolve to tackle complex challenges, they unlock new waves of agility, efficiency, and competitiveness.

Realising the full potential of AI agents requires more than just advanced technology. Robust public policies and frameworks must exist to ensure the responsible adoption of AI, alongside investments in workforce training. This aligns with the blueprint outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan for driving growth and delivering the benefits of AI for the public sector, businesses, and citizens alike.

Integrating AI agents into the workforce holds immense promise for augmenting human capabilities. To effectively leverage this potential, governments should set ambitious policy goals and address the barriers that hinder the uptake of emerging technologies, such as resource constraints and skills gaps, ensuring enterprises are equipped to embrace AI-driven innovation. Workforce development should focus on driving AI collaboration skills, ensuring human creativity, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making remain central to AI-powered workplaces.

Governments equally have an opportunity to leverage AI agents to improve public services through their enhanced speed, responsiveness, and personalisation. In the face of increasing pressures to serve citizens as resources tighten, AI offers innovative ways to deliver more responsive and scalable solutions. The recent AI Playbook is a key step toward the responsible implementation of AI in the public sector. Beyond advancing their own digital transformation, governments also have a critical role to play in accelerating the adoption of trusted AI solutions, including AI agents, across the private sector.

Coordinated efforts between governments, industry, and civil society are crucial. Public policies should prioritise workforce upskilling and promote equitable AI access so that individuals from all backgrounds can benefit. International frameworks from UNESCO, the OECD, and the IMF offer a strong foundation for developing effective capacity-building strategies.

Salesforce remains committed to this vision by expanding access to AI training through its free Trailhead platform and global AI Centres designed to foster innovation and upskilling in key hubs. Additionally, initiatives like the Salesforce Accelerator—Agents for Impact—empower nonprofits with AI technology and expertise, amplifying their social impact.

For policymakers, the challenge - and opportunity - lies in fostering synergy between AI and humans. By investing in skills development and democratise access to AI, we can amplify human potential, driving a more prosperous, equitable, and inclusive future for all.

Agentic AI was explored in the first of techUK's new AI Leader's Series, which seeks to bring together some of the brightest minds in artificial intelligence to explore cutting-edge developments, emerging trends, and the transformative potential of AI on the UK’s economy and society. Register for our next event on Small Language Models here.

techUK - Seizing the AI Opportunity

The UK is a global leader in AI innovation, development and adoption. The economic growth and productivity gain that AI can unlock is vast, but to fully harness this transformative opportunity, immediate action is required. techUK and our members are committed to working with the Government to turn the AI Opportunities Action Plan into reality. Our aim is to ensure the UK seizes the opportunities presented by AI technology and continues to be a world leader in AI development.

techUK runs a full calendar of activities including events, reports, and insights to demonstrate some of the most significant AI opportunities for the UK. Our AI Hub is where you will find details of all upcoming activity. We also send a monthly AI newsletter which you can subscribe to here.