Coventry City Council signed a £500,000-per-year contract with US data company Palantir to deploy artificial intelligence across council services. The agreement follows a pilot in children's services that used AI for case-note transcription and summarising social workers' records, with plans to extend the system to support processes for children with special educational needs. The council aims to improve internal data integration, service delivery and explore transformative AI opportunities. Palantir already supplies technology to UK public bodies and international clients, and the deal has prompted ethical objections from trade unions and councillors calling for cancellation and local reinvestment.
Public sector workers have voiced deep concern after Coventry city council signed a 500,000-a-year artificial intelligence contract with the US data technology company Palantir.
The contract follows a pilot scheme in the council's children's services department, including using AI for case-note transcription and to summarise social workers' records.
It is indefensible that the council entered into a contract with Palantir, a company infamous for its role in providing weapons and surveillance to the IDF and its role in NHS privatisation, at a time when the council has made cuts to the public and voluntary sector, Lewis said.
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