France's DGSI Drops Palantir for ChapsVision in Strategic Tech Shift
French Intelligence Agency's Technology Transition and Its Broader Implications
DGSI Ends Palantir Contract in Favor of ChapsVision
PARIS, June 16 (Reuters) - The French domestic intelligence agency DGSI has decided to terminate its contract with the U.S. tech firm Palantir in favour of a French rival, ChapsVision, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday.
European Concerns Over U.S. Tech Dependencies
The move reflects growing wariness by European governments about dependency on U.S. tech platforms, and particularly on Palantir Technologies' suite of products. Founded by billionaire Peter Thiel with backing from the CIA, Palantir sells military-grade AI data integration tools to governments and businesses.
French Government's Stance on Digital Sovereignty
"We must use our own AI models; we cannot accept new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere," Lecornu said in a video posted on X. "We cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers. France must have its own tools."
Palantir and ChapsVision did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
International Reactions and Policy Shifts
Impact of U.S. Political Uncertainty
U.S. President Donald Trump's unpredictability on the global stage has led European allies to question whether decades of U.S. support in areas including security and technology can still be taken for granted.
Other European Actions Against Palantir
Palantir has been among the U.S. tech firms most affected, although last week Anthropic said it would "abruptly disable" its most advanced AI models for all users after the U.S. government ordered it to exclude foreign nationals from access, citing national security concerns.
Germany and the United Kingdom's Response
Germany's military has said it will no longer use Palantir, while Britain is reviewing the National Health Service's £330 million ($440 million) data contract with Palantir following political and parliamentary pressure.
London's Rejection of Palantir Contracts
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also blocked a proposed £50 million Palantir contract with the capital's police, citing value-for-money and procurement grounds. Palantir threatened legal proceedings in response.
France's Investment in AI and Digital Infrastructure
Lecornu said France plans to invest €655 million ($760 million) in artificial intelligence, and set up a shared chatbot for all state services.
It will also create a public health chatbot for the state-owned health insurance agency Ameli, and a new digital platform to simplify access to public data. ($1 = 0.8638 euros)
($1 = 0.7452 pounds)
(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Sam Tabahriti;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Gabriel Stargardter and Kevin Liffey)
