Palantir, the AI titan that yells U.S. supremacy
From Silicon Valley’s Edge to Global Powerhouses
Palantir’s chief architect, Alex Karp, recently declared in Palo Alto that the United States must become “the strongest, most important country in the world.” The data‑analytics titan, founded by Peter Thiel and iconoclastic engineers, now sprinkles its reach across banks, hospitals, federal agencies and the Israeli defense corridor.
Real‑Time Battlefield Intelligence
- In Ukraine, Palantir’s platforms sift through biometric data, intercepted calls and satellite feeds to pinpoint targets instantaneously.
- “I’m proud of what we do to protect our soldiers,” Karp proclaimed, “using our AI to kill and scare our enemies because they know they will be killed.”
Funding From Washington and ICE
In the first quarter, the company earned $373 million from the U.S. government—a 45 % jump from last year. Not all of it stems from military ventures:
– ICE awarded a $30 million contract to create a deportation‑tracking platform.
The Pentagon added another $800 million to its AI system, building on a $480 million “Project Maven” contract signed in May 2024. This made Palantir’s first billion‑dollar contract, placing it next to Microsoft and Amazon’s AWS in the colossal U.S. defense‑contract arena.
Beyond Numbers
In an early‑May letter to shareholders, Karp mused that financial results “will never be the ultimate measure of the value…of our business.” He peppered the message with quotes from Saint Augustine, the Bible, and Richard Nixon, underscoring the company’s lofty aspirations.
Origins and Identity
Palantir, named after the all‑seeing stones in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” launched in 2003 with backing from the CIA and Silicon Valley’s conservative elite such as Peter Thiel and Karp. Its founders proudly viewed themselves as “pure drugs”—expensive, sought after, and empowering.
Political Ties and Controversies
Several key figures in President Trump’s “DOGE” cost‑cutting commission—originally spearheaded by Elon Musk—radiated from Palantir. The New York Times, Wired, and CNN have reported on clandestine government projects using Palantir’s software to fuse federal datasets into a single, massive database.
Elizabeth Laird from the Center for Democracy & Technology warned that such a platform could “deeply worry” about how data might be wielded.
The Company’s Stance
Unlike many Silicon Valley firms that keep defense work quiet, Palantir proudly embraces its military commitments. Sasha Spivak, director of strategy, reflected:
“When I joined, the purpose was hidden. Today, we’re not ashamed, we’re not afraid, and we’re deeply proud of what we do and our clients.”
Employee Concerns
In early May, 13 former Palantir employees released a letter accusing the company of “normalizing authoritarianism under the cover of a ‘revolution’ led by oligarchs.” They highlighted Palantir’s support for the Trump administration and DOGE as betrayals of its stated values of ethics, transparency, and democratic defense.
After protracted inquiries, several resigned, claiming that questions about Palantir’s work with Israel were swiftly shut down by management, who advised, “If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
Internal Perspectives
Jeremy David, co‑director of the Health division, downplayed controversies, noting, “My daily job is helping nurses and doctors, who often hate us at first and are very grateful at the end.”
Client Outcomes and Culture
Joe Bonanno, head of data analysis at Citibank, praised the efficiency gains of Palantir’s tools, noting an operation that once required “nine days and 50 people” now takes “just a few minutes for one person.” He concluded with an off‑hand remark, “Like I said, and like Alex said, I came to dominate, crush and annihilate. So if you’re JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, sorry—.”
While some potential clients admit the war‑like rhetoric makes them uneasy, many still see no viable alternative to Palantir’s advanced data‑analytics capabilities.
