Key facts
- France's domestic intelligence agency (DGSI) is ending its contract with U.S. AI provider Palantir.
- French firm ChapsVision will supply a domestic alternative for data processing needs.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu cited concerns over strategic autonomy and dependence on U.S. technology.
- The DGSI had previously renewed its contract with Palantir in December for three more years.
- France plans to invest €655 million in artificial intelligence development.
- ChapsVision aims to become a leader in European data intelligence and agentic AI.
France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, is ending its decade-long contract with U.S. AI provider Palantir, opting for a domestic solution from French company ChapsVision. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated the move is crucial for building "real autonomy" and avoiding new strategic dependencies in the digital sphere, emphasizing that France cannot rely on tools developed by foreign powers.
The decision comes as European governments increasingly question their reliance on U.S.-controlled technologies. The DGSI had renewed its contract with Palantir only in 2025, and the transition process is expected to take several years. Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, has faced scrutiny over its data processing services and their implications for surveillance and individual freedoms.
France plans to invest €655 million in artificial intelligence, funding infrastructure, computing capacity, research, and companies. A new government AI tool, built on models from French startup Mistral AI, is being rolled out to a million civil servants to assist with tasks such as speeding up legal cases and helping researchers secure grants. ChapsVision, founded in 2019, aims to become a European leader in data intelligence and agentic AI, and its technology has reportedly also been selected by Germany's BfV internal security service.