Key Points:
- Salesforce is opening a 40,000-square-foot AI center in London. The center will be a collaborative space for tech firms, AI experts, partners, and customers.
- The center aims to help create 500,000 AI-related jobs in the UK. Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO of Salesforce UK and Ireland, will lead the new facility.
- This facility is the first of many planned AI centers globally. It is part of a $4 billion investment in the UK over five years, including $200 million in UK startups.
- Salesforce reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue and lower-than-expected earnings guidance for the current quarter.
Salesforce, the global enterprise tech leader, is investing significantly in the United Kingdom by opening a new artificial intelligence (AI) center in London. This move underscores the company’s confidence in the UK as a burgeoning hub for technological innovation.
Salesforce’s new AI facility, announced on Thursday, will occupy over 40,000 square feet in London’s Blue Fin building. The center is designed to accommodate more than 300 people and will serve as a collaborative space for tech firms, AI experts, Salesforce partners, and customers. Additionally, it will host AI training and upskilling programs to foster industry growth.
The AI center is part of Salesforce’s broader strategy to stimulate job creation in the AI sector. The company projects that it will help generate 500,000 AI-related jobs in the UK. The facility will officially open on June 18 with a free event aimed at training over 100 developers, marking the start of its contributions to the local tech ecosystem.
This London-based center will be the first of many such facilities worldwide, emphasizing Salesforce’s commitment to AI innovation. Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO of Salesforce UK and Ireland, will lead the new center, supporting the company’s operations in the UK and Ireland.
The announcement was made during the Salesforce World Tour event at the London Excel venue, which drew over 17,500 delegates and customers from various companies, including Aston Martin, McLaren, Just Eat Takeaway, and John Lewis. Speaking at the event, Bahrololoumi highlighted the strategic importance of the new center.
Salesforce’s investment in the AI center is part of a broader $4 billion investment in the UK over five years, announced in 2023. Additionally, Salesforce Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm, has invested over $200 million into UK startups. Notable investments include AutoGen AI, a procurement bid writing platform, and Eleven Labs, an AI-powered text-to-speech and voice generation company.
Despite these ambitious investments, Salesforce is facing scrutiny over the financial returns from its AI initiatives. Last week, the company reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter revenue of $9.13 billion, which, although an 11% increase from the previous year, fell short of analyst expectations of $9.17 billion. Moreover, Salesforce’s earnings guidance for the current quarter, at $2.34 to $2.36 per share, was lower than the anticipated $2.40 per share.
