UK Politicians Demand Palantir Exit Over AI Weapons Manifesto

Political leaders in the United Kingdom are calling for the government to terminate its contracts with Palantir Technologies after the company published a 22-point manifesto on X. The document, which serves as a summary of the book The Technological Republic co-authored by CEO Alex Karp and corporate affairs head Nicholas Zamiska, advocates for a US military draft, the embrace of religion in public life, and the necessity of AI weapons for national deterrence.

The manifesto argues that some cultures are dysfunctional and regressive, while calling for an end to the postwar disarmament of Germany and Japan. It further asserts that tech firms have a moral obligation to support the defense industry, suggesting AI weapons must be developed regardless of employee protests to avoid falling behind adversaries.

UK Members of Parliament from the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties condemned the text, with some describing it as the ramblings of a supervillain or a parody of a RoboCop film. Critics argue that Palantir's ideology makes it unfit to manage sensitive public data, specifically regarding the company's £500 million in UK contracts with the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and the police. A Palantir spokesperson defended the company by highlighting its operational contributions to the Royal Navy and domestic violence protection efforts.