PORTLAND (WGME) – Nurses launched a protest Thursday against MaineHealth and its ties to Palantir, an AI software company known for defense and intelligence contracts.
Palantir Technology also helps ICE locate people suspected of being in the country illegally.
Their software is also available in hospitals across the country.
Maine Medical Center nurses are demanding that MaineHealth cut all ties with AI software giant Palantir.
But nurses say MaineHealth told them they had no intention of doing so.
“This notorious surveillance company founded by right-wing extremists has no place in our hospital,” said Meg Sinclair, an emergency room nurse.
MaineHealth nurses accuse Palantir of complicity in the Gaza genocide, targeting civilians in Iran and helping ICE “terrorize people like Johan Sebastian Guerrero, who was shot and killed by ICE in Biddeford as he left his home to go to work.”
“Nurses feared it was only a matter of time before someone in our community was killed,” Sinclair said. “MaineHealth knowingly funds a company that actively harms our community.”
Nurses say some of MaineHealth’s own employees feel threatened by ICE.
“How can we ask these employees to trust us when we partner with a company whose name has become synonymous with ICE?” Sarah English, a nurse at Maine Medical Center, said.
Nurses protested Thursday against MaineHealth and its ties to Palantir, an AI software company known for defense and intelligence contracts. (WGME)
MaineHealth declined CBS13’s interview request but said it is working with Palantir to challenge insurance denials.
Hospital officials say, “This tool has helped reverse unreasonable denials of coverage for thousands of MaineHealth patients for medically necessary care.”
They also say, “MaineHealth maintains strict safeguards to protect patient information and it will not be shared outside of MaineHealth’s supervision.”
But nurses say they have no way to know if that’s true without seeing the contract with Palantir.
“The entire contract is confidential despite our numerous requests for information about their relationship,” Sinclair said.
CBS13 reached out to Palantir for comment, but we have not heard back.
The company, which provides services for government and commercial purposes, issued a statement to NPR saying, “If Palantir employees are granted access to data, it is solely to help integrate and analyze that data, not to store it or use it for our own purposes.”
MaineHealth insists that Palantir does not have access to hospital data.
Nurses aren’t so sure.
“I don’t believe it for a second,” Sinclair said. “I think maybe MaineHealth believes it. But I don’t think they know the devil they’re dancing with.”
“Perception is important,” English said. “The fear is real and these fears deserve to be heard rather than dismissed and ignored.”
Nurses say health care depends on trust and confidentiality, and if patients think their information has been compromised, they may avoid hospitals rather than seek treatment.
CBS13 also asked ICE about this but did not receive a response.
https://wgme.com/news/local/maine-nurses-protest-mainehealths-ties-to-ai-software-company-palantir-artificial-intelligence-data-ice-imigration-customs-enforcement
