The US Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded Salesforce a $1.6 billion contract over three years to deploy AI tools across the department. The agreement is intended to reduce administrative work and help staff access information more quickly, potentially freeing more time for veterans’ care and benefits services.

The deal includes plans for a 24-hour virtual contact centre using AI agents to assist during calls, triage cases and verify benefits, as well as a Slack-based “agentic operating system” already used in some VA hospitals. Salesforce’s seat-based licensing model has drawn scrutiny over potential future costs, while Oracle continues its separate $9.99 billion VA electronic health record programme and has secured a nearly $7 billion US Defence Department software agreement.