CONNECT WITH US
AI & Deeptech

AI & Deeptech

Palantir’s Tom Watson says ‘mob rule’ must not dictate awarding of government contracts

The Guardian – AI logo

Published on

Add as a preferred source on Google
Palantir’s Tom Watson says ‘mob rule’ must not dictate awarding of government contracts

Former Labour deputy leader says tech firm would work with a Reform UK government on immigration crackdowns

Tom Watson, the former Labour deputy leader who recently joined Palantir, has warned against “mob rule” when it comes to awarding public contracts.

Lord Watson, now a senior vice-president at the US tech corporation, said UK ministers could get themselves “in a lot of trouble” as he was questioned about concerns raised about the government working with his new employer.

Palantir was co-founded by the Trump-supporting billionaire Peter Thiel and has provided AI-powered software to the Israeli military and the White House’s ICE immigration crackdown, leading to a public and political backlash against its deepening involvement in British public services.

The prime minister, Andy Burnham, is under significant pressure from Labour MPs and unions to ditch Palantir from government contracts, including a £330m software deal with the NHS.

The company is also fighting Sadiq Khan in court over the London mayor’s block on a £50m contract to use its AI in Metropolitan police investigations. It is seeking to win more public sector work in the UK, where it already has an annual turnover of £427m.

Watson told the BBC podcast Political Thinking with Nick Robinson: “One of the things I’d say to my former colleagues is: do you want to let the rule of law lead procurement practice, or do you want to let mob rule to lead procurement practices?



Source link
Related Topics:AI & Deeptech

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We TheMorningPulse.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It's possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.