Head of UK police AI programme open to working with Palantir
Palantir has launched a legal challenge against Sir Sadiq Khan’s move to block its £50 million contract with the Metropolitan Police.
The head of the national police AI programme is open to working with Palantir despite controversy over a deal between the tech giant and the UK’s biggest force.
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Interim director of PoliceAI Alex Murray said he would work with any AI company if they could show that their tools are effective and responsible.
Speaking at the launch of the national scheme on Wednesday, he said: “We’re open to working with all AI companies, providing off-the-shelf products, but also ones that help us build AI capability.
“I have two questions to any AI company: one is your tool effective; two, is it responsible?
“Because if it’s effective but not responsible, it’s not transparent, explainable, robust, then we’re not interested. If it is responsible but not effective, I’m not interested.
“But if it is both of those things, then we should be interested for the benefit of the public.”
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Palantir, founded by tech magnate Peter Thiel, a prominent donor to US president Donald Trump, holds contracts with a number of UK public sector bodies.
MPs have expressed concern over British reliance on a small number of US tech providers, with the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee warning that it presents a “clear vulnerability”.
Palantir has launched a legal challenge against Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan’s move to block its £50 million contract with the Metropolitan Police.
Sir Sadiq argued that Palantir was the only supplier considered by the force and therefore procurement processes had not been followed.
Mr Murray would not comment on the row between Met bosses and the Mayor, but said: “There were wider decisions in relation to some companies that it’s not my job to decide on, but it is the job of either chief constables or politicians to say we do or don’t want to work with that company.
“My lens is, is it effective and is it responsible? And if it is both those things, then I’m open to working with them.”
PoliceAI, which was officially launched on Wednesday, aims to save six million hours of police officers’ time by the end of 2028.
It will see a central team of 50 staff test and roll out AI tools, including a system to check the quality of evidence files that will be tested this year and rolled out in 2027.
There are also tools to more quickly identify images of child sexual abuse, and to trawl through CCTV during investigations.
Both the Metropolitan Police and Cumbria, which has already used the technology to save hundreds of hours in a kidnapping case, are trialling CCTV analytics tools.
Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “For too long, officers have spent hours behind desks processing paperwork instead of being out in their communities catching criminals. PoliceAI changes that.
“By putting the best of responsible AI into the hands of all 43 forces, we are freeing up millions of hours of police time, getting more cases to court faster, and delivering on our commitment to put more visible, effective policing at the heart of every community.”