France to ditch AI data tools from Palantir for domestic provider
A protest over Palantir software in Germany in September. The French decision to use its own AI models comes amid growing concern among European governments about US-controlled technology. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters View image in fullscreen A protest over Palantir software in Germany in September. The French decision to use its own AI models comes amid growing concern among European governments about US-controlled technology. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters France to ditch AI data tools from Palantir for domestic provider Switch to ChapsVision announced by PM comes amid concern about reliance on US-controlled technology France’s domestic intelligence service is to ditch AI data tools from the US tech giant Palantir in favour of a domestic provider in an effort to avoid “strategic dependency”, the prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has said. “We must use our own AI models; we cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere,” Lecornu posted on social media. “We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools.” The move came amid increasing concern among European governments at their reliance on US-controlled technologies and follows Washington’s decision last week to restrict foreign nationals’ access to Anthropic’s latest AI model. Lecornu’s office said the French DGSI intelligence agency would replace Palantir’s tools with those from the French firms ChapsVision, although since the US’s company’s long-term contract was renewed only in 2025, the process is likely to take several years. France must “build real autonomy” and “not depend on the goodwill of certain partners, who are capable of turning off the access tap” for artificial intelligence, the prime minister said. ChapsVision, which was founded in 2019 and earned €200m (£173m) in revenue in 2025 against Palantir’s $4.5bn (£3.3bn), said it would become the “technological foundation” for “many public agencies for their critical data processing needs”. ChapsVision’s technology, which collects, prepares and analyses data, has reportedly also been selected by Germany’s BfV internal security service. Palantir said it would “continue to support the French government wherever its solutions are needed”. Co-founded by the right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel, an ally of the US president, Donald Trump, Palantir has worked with the US government to supply software to ICE, which is carrying out an immigration crackdown, and to identify targets in the US-Israel war on Iran. Campaign groups have long warned that the US company’s products pose risks relating to surveillance, infringements on individual freedoms and data protection. Palantir insists it simply provides powerful data processing services. Germany’s military has said it will no longer use the company’s products, while Britain is reviewing the National Health Service’s £330m data contract with Palantir after political and parliamentary pressure. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has also
