Blab Tech
Metropolitan Police Extends Palantir AI Pilot While New Procurement Process Begins
The Metropolitan Police Service (Met) has secured a 12‑month extension for its pilot with U.S. data‑analytics firm Palantir, allowing the force to keep using the AI platform while a new procurement process is launched.
The extension follows London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s May decision to block a £50 million contract between the Met and Palantir. Deputy mayor for policing and crime Kaya Comer‑Schwartz said the original deal breached public‑spending rules because the Met had only approached one supplier and had not run a competitive tender.
Palantir’s lawyers have written to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to contest the decision in court, according to the Times.
Over the next year the Met will run a procurement process to appoint a new supplier for the same capability. Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams welcomed MOPAC’s approval to continue the pilot, describing it as a tool that “strengthens professional standards, roots out misconduct and increases public confidence.” She added that the pilot, launched earlier this year, had flagged a significant number of potential conduct issues, many of which are now being pursued by the professional standards team.
Commissioner Mark Rowley spoke on Wednesday about the collaboration. He said the pilot had “proved to be a step change” by consolidating data on roughly 45,000 people across the organisation and shifting to a discovery‑based model. Rowley noted that the force could now proactively spot problem individuals or patterns and intervene before harm occurs.
Palantir’s spokesperson said the company was proud that its software had been used “effectively by the Met police to identify officer misconduct” and that the decision would allow that important work to continue.
The pilot employs Palantir’s data‑integration platform to scan internal workforce data—including sickness, overtime and absence records—to detect patterns that may indicate rogue behaviour. The Met has reported that the system has surfaced hundreds of officers for investigation.
The mayor’s office said the Met may extend the current pilot to retain existing capability while the procurement takes place. “The deputy mayor has required the Met to run a new procurement process, open to a wide range of potential suppliers, to choose the long‑term provider of this capability,” a spokesperson for the mayor said.
Use of Palantir’s AI has sparked debate over the balance between policing efficiency and civil‑liberties concerns. Critics view the system as intrusive, while supporters argue it helps the force maintain high standards.
The procurement process will be overseen by MOPAC, which ensures that the Met’s spending complies with public‑sector procurement rules.
The extension gives the Met a 12‑month window to continue using the Palantir platform while it evaluates other vendors. The force has said it will use the interim period to strengthen professional standards and streamline administrative processes.
In short, the Met will operate the Palantir pilot for another year, the mayor’s office will supervise a new procurement process, and Palantir’s lawyers are preparing a legal challenge to the mayor’s decision. No further funding or contract details have been announced.
The Met’s next steps include completing the procurement process, selecting a new supplier, and determining how the AI capability will be integrated into the force’s broader technology strategy.
The story is developing as the Met, Palantir, and the mayor’s office negotiate the next phases of the project and address the regulatory and legal questions raised by the procurement breach.
The extension follows London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s May decision to block a £50 million contract between the Met and Palantir. Deputy mayor for policing and crime Kaya Comer‑Schwartz said the original deal breached public‑spending rules because the Met had only approached one supplier and had not run a competitive tender.
Palantir’s lawyers have written to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to contest the decision in court, according to the Times.
Over the next year the Met will run a procurement process to appoint a new supplier for the same capability. Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams welcomed MOPAC’s approval to continue the pilot, describing it as a tool that “strengthens professional standards, roots out misconduct and increases public confidence.” She added that the pilot, launched earlier this year, had flagged a significant number of potential conduct issues, many of which are now being pursued by the professional standards team.
Commissioner Mark Rowley spoke on Wednesday about the collaboration. He said the pilot had “proved to be a step change” by consolidating data on roughly 45,000 people across the organisation and shifting to a discovery‑based model. Rowley noted that the force could now proactively spot problem individuals or patterns and intervene before harm occurs.
Palantir’s spokesperson said the company was proud that its software had been used “effectively by the Met police to identify officer misconduct” and that the decision would allow that important work to continue.
The pilot employs Palantir’s data‑integration platform to scan internal workforce data—including sickness, overtime and absence records—to detect patterns that may indicate rogue behaviour. The Met has reported that the system has surfaced hundreds of officers for investigation.
The mayor’s office said the Met may extend the current pilot to retain existing capability while the procurement takes place. “The deputy mayor has required the Met to run a new procurement process, open to a wide range of potential suppliers, to choose the long‑term provider of this capability,” a spokesperson for the mayor said.
Use of Palantir’s AI has sparked debate over the balance between policing efficiency and civil‑liberties concerns. Critics view the system as intrusive, while supporters argue it helps the force maintain high standards.
The procurement process will be overseen by MOPAC, which ensures that the Met’s spending complies with public‑sector procurement rules.
The extension gives the Met a 12‑month window to continue using the Palantir platform while it evaluates other vendors. The force has said it will use the interim period to strengthen professional standards and streamline administrative processes.
In short, the Met will operate the Palantir pilot for another year, the mayor’s office will supervise a new procurement process, and Palantir’s lawyers are preparing a legal challenge to the mayor’s decision. No further funding or contract details have been announced.
The Met’s next steps include completing the procurement process, selecting a new supplier, and determining how the AI capability will be integrated into the force’s broader technology strategy.
The story is developing as the Met, Palantir, and the mayor’s office negotiate the next phases of the project and address the regulatory and legal questions raised by the procurement breach.
