The United Nations Association UK is the coordinator of the Stop Killer Robots UK coalition and member of the Global Stop Killer Robots coalition.
The United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) is profoundly concerned by the implications of the UK government choosing to embed Palantir Technologies so deeply in the state and public sector.
The proliferation of Palantir’s influence in the UK, including notable contracts with the national health service, the military and police, raises urgent questions about the role and influence of private international tech companies in shaping public policy and democratic practice that the UK Government must answer.
The role of powerful tech companies in the public sector is a challenge for both global and national governance, given the game-changing and possibly irreversible implications of artificial intelligence and its rapid pace of development. Moreover, democratic scrutiny is challenged by the difficulty of examining the workings of the technologies themselves, especially when they operate under a combination of commercial secrecy and security classification.
The role of powerful tech companies in the public sector is a challenge for both global and national governance, given the game-changing and possibly irreversible implications of artificial intelligence and its rapid pace of development. Moreover, democratic scrutiny is challenged by the difficulty of examining the workings of the technologies themselves, especially when they operate under a combination of commercial secrecy and security classification.
The positions outlined in recent posts linked to Palantir Technologies and its Chief Executive, Alex Karp, include the assertion that technology companies have a “moral obligation” to support national defence, an emphasis on the importance of “hard power” for free and democratic societies, and the claim that AI-based deterrence will be a replacement for nuclear deterrence, which seems to suggest that AI could be designed to pose a catastrophic threat. Assertions regarding the inevitability of AI-driven weapons, the prioritisation of militarised approaches, and claims about the superiority of one culture over another are at odds with the principles of equality, human dignity, and international cooperation.
As the coordinator of the Stop Killer Robots UK coalition and member of the Global Stop Killer Robots coalition – campaigns advocating for international law to cover the emerging challenge of Autonomous Weapons Systems – UNA-UK is particularly concerned by the portrayal of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies primarily as tools of geopolitical competition rather than shared human thriving. Moreover, the implication in the statement that ethical oversight or democratic debate may obstruct progress—especially regarding autonomous weapons—runs counter to international efforts aimed at ensuring responsible and lawful use of such technologies.
These developments take place alongside wider international scrutiny of Palantir’s activities. The company has faced criticism for its involvement in surveillance systems, including immigration enforcement in the United States, as well as its reported role in military and intelligence operations connected to Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Palantir’s AI-powered defence platform, Maven Smart System, has allegedly been used in US attacks on Iran. Human rights organisations such as Stop Killer Robots UK and Global, ICRC, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, have highlighted potential risks these activities may pose to civilian protection and adherence to international law.
Against this backdrop, the United Kingdom’s significant contractual relationships with Palantir—including in healthcare, defence, and public administration—should be subject to careful review. Public sector partnerships must be assessed not only on technical performance and cost, but also on corporate values, accountability, and alignment with democratic principles and international commitments—especially when it comes to new technologies which have the potential to radically reshape our daily lives for many years to come.
UNA-UK calls on the UK Government to:
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- Ensure that partnerships with private technology providers are consistent with the UK’s obligations under human rights and international law;
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- Enhance transparency and democratic oversight in the use of advanced data systems and artificial intelligence in public services;
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- Support international initiatives, particularly through the United Nations, to establish clear safeguards governing the military and surveillance uses of AI.
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- Focus on the opportunity for AI to advance peace, cooperation, democracy and human rights, where technologies could be harnessed for great breakthroughs for the good of humanity, rather than doubling down on the logic of an arms race.
Momentum is growing internationally for the regulation of autonomous weapons systems, with widespread support from states and the United Nations for a legally binding treaty. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major player in both arms exports and artificial intelligence, the UK is well placed to influence key upcoming milestones—including the 2026 Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), where governments including our own must work to launch treaty negotiations in 2027. With more than 70 countries – including UK allies like France and Germany – now having stated that international discussions at the CCW give a sufficient basis to move forward to negotiations and that they are willing to move forward to take this next step, there is a critical opportunity to move from discussion to action and to establish meaningful safeguards through new international law, including human control and robust legal protections for civilians.