Met gets extension to AI project with spy tech firm Palantir after mayor blocked deal

The Metropolitan police has been granted a 12-month extension to a pilot project with the spy tech firm Palantir while the force carries out a procurement process. The development comes weeks after the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, blocked a £50m deal between the Met and the US company to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations. Last month the mayor’s office said there had been a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules and said police had seriously considered only one supplier. Palantir’s lawyers subsequently wrote to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime saying they intended to challenge the decision in court , the Times reported. The Met will now run a procurement process for the further 12 months to appoint a supplier. Regarding the force’s use of AI system Customer Service Engine (CSE), Met assistant commissioner Rachel Williams said on Wednesday: “We are pleased Mopac [the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime] has approved the Met to continue to use this capability for a further 12 months to strengthen professional standards, root out misconduct and increase public confidence. “As part of our a New Met for London Plan, we set out a series of commitments to improve standards and tackle poor culture. “The vast majority of Met officers and staff serve London with dedication and integrity, and they – and the wider public – rightly expect robust action against the small minority who abuse their position or undermine public trust. …