France to end cooperation with U.S. company Palantir

France's domestic intelligence agency, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), will cease its collaboration with the U.S. artificial intelligence company Palantir. The announcement came from French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who stated that the country cannot afford to foster new strategic dependencies in the digital realm.

This decision was prompted by a recent incident where Washington blocked non-U.S. users from accessing the powerful "Fable" AI model developed by Palantir's partner, Anthropic. Lecornu emphasized that France should not rely on the "goodwill of certain partners" who can arbitrarily restrict access to crucial AI tools.

The move aligns with France's broader strategy to invest heavily in its domestic AI capabilities, with Lecornu announcing 655 million euros in AI development funding. The incident with "Fable" has amplified calls from French presidential candidates for greater national independence from U.S.-developed AI programs.

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We cannot agree to a new strategic dependence in the digital space.

Palantir, co-founded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, has faced scrutiny globally. Critics, including human rights advocates, warn of risks associated with mass surveillance and data protection. In the UK, parliamentarians urged the National Health Service to end its contract with Palantir, citing vulnerability in relying on a few U.S.-based providers.

Palantir maintains it provides data processing services that help uncover valuable information within large data streams for government and corporate clients. The company's U.S. division did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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France should not depend on the goodwill of certain partners who can restrict access to AI tools at any time.