French entrepreneur and author Laurent Alexandre said French secret services are forced to use artificial intelligence from the U.S. technology company Palantir [1].
The reliance on a foreign AI provider for national security operations raises critical questions about French sovereignty and the ability of the state to protect its most sensitive data without external influence.
Speaking during the "Club Le Figaro Idées" program broadcast by Le Figaro, Alexandre said the intersection of technology and national security is a concern [1]. He said the current state of affairs creates a vulnerability for the French government by tethering its intelligence capabilities to a private American entity [1].
"Our secret services are forced to use the artificial intelligence of Palantir, the American technological giant," Alexandre said [1]. He said this total dependence on the United States is "dramatic" [1].
Palantir provides data analytics and integration software used by various government agencies worldwide. Alexandre said that when a nation's intelligence apparatus relies on proprietary software from another country, it risks losing control over its strategic autonomy [1].
The discussion highlights a growing tension within the European Union regarding "digital sovereignty." France and other EU members have frequently called for the development of domestic AI capabilities to avoid reliance on the U.S. or Chinese tech giants [1].
Alexandre's comments emphasize that the gap between the need for advanced AI tools and the availability of domestic alternatives is currently being filled by American firms [1]. This gap, he said, leaves the French state in a position of necessity rather than choice [1].
“"This total dependence on the United States is dramatic."”
This situation underscores the strategic imbalance between U.S. private tech dominance and European national security. As AI becomes the primary engine for intelligence gathering and analysis, countries that cannot produce competitive domestic tools face a paradox: they must either operate with inferior technology or compromise their digital sovereignty by integrating foreign-owned software into their most classified systems.
