---
title: 'Palantir CEO on Iran, AI Weapons and American Domination | a16z American Dynamism Summit'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wj6ttdIeBnE'
video_id: 'Wj6ttdIeBnE'
date: 2026-07-28
duration_sec: 1946
---

# Palantir CEO on Iran, AI Weapons and American Domination | a16z American Dynamism Summit

> Source: [Palantir CEO on Iran, AI Weapons and American Domination | a16z American Dynamism Summit](https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wj6ttdIeBnE)

## Summary

In this interview at the a16z American Dynamism Summit, Palantir CEO Alex Karp discusses the recent US-Israel bombing of Iran, the role of AI in modern warfare, and the importance of military technological superiority. He emphasizes Palantir's mission to protect American warfighters and criticizes Silicon Valley's disconnect from national defense realities.

### Key Points

- **Opening Remarks** [00:02] — Karp expresses his commitment to the troops and America, stating that Palantir's most important work is ensuring American warfighters come home.
- **Operation Epic Fury** [01:33] — Karp references the US and Israel bombing Iran, resulting in Ayatollah Khamenei's death, and discusses the implications for the Middle East and Western future.
- **Divergent Thinking and American Rights** [02:57] — Karp links neurodivergence to American exceptionalism, highlighting the importance of First, Second, and Fourth Amendment rights for expressing freedom.
- **Support for Warfighters** [04:05] — He stresses the need to publicly support military families and humiliate those who fail to appreciate their sacrifices.
- **Palantir's Mission** [05:27] — Karp reiterates that Palantir's goal is to make American warfighters safer and deter adversaries through lethal technology.
- **Military Superiority as Decisive** [07:21] — He argues that American technological dominance, seen in operations like Midnight Hammer, gives the US a decisive vote in global affairs.
- **Warning to Silicon Valley** [10:45] — Karp warns that if Silicon Valley takes away jobs while ignoring the military, it will face nationalization and backlash.
- **Zero-Sum Competition** [13:35] — He notes that tech companies compete fiercely among themselves but fail to see the zero-sum game with America's enemies, risking nationalization.
- **Bridging the Gap** [15:20] — Karp suggests bringing tech leaders to Iowa or DC to understand military needs and the fragility of American democracy.
- **Rights and Technology** [17:51] — He discusses the tension between privacy rights and AI, emphasizing the need for nuanced dialogue about Fourth Amendment protections.
- **Advice for Founders** [23:17] — Karp advises founders to engage with military personnel and avoid overconfidence in areas outside their expertise.
- **Neurodivergence and Aptitude** [25:36] — He highlights that outlier IQ is a form of neurodivergence and that Palantir thrives by nurturing unique individuals.
- **Maven and Deterrence** [30:13] — Karp credits Project Maven, an AI targeting system, for reestablishing American deterrence in the Middle East.

### Conclusion

Karp's message is clear: American military technological superiority, driven by companies like Palantir, is essential for national security and global stability. He calls on Silicon Valley to engage with defense needs and protect the unique American culture that fosters innovation.

## Transcript

And we spent 20 years for [music] this moment. We're doing it. We're doing it. And I'm sure you're enjoying this as much as I am. I just got three things to say.
God bless our troops. God bless America.
decisive vote. And that is with military superiority. If Silicon Valley believes superiority. If Silicon Valley believes we are going to take away everyone's The most important [music] thing Palantir is doing is to make sure that
American warfighters are much more likely to come home. If we are going to outperform the rest of the world, our single advantage is
have the OG American Dynamism founder on stage with us at the fourth annual summit. Um, I think gosh, if we had had this >> Yes. Um, I think if we had had >> I shouldn't get that there's a gang
>> No, I I I think we all got the the reference. >> He doesn't get out much. He's like, "Huh? What is that?" So I think uh if we had had this conversation 72 hours
ago, it would have been very different. Um, but of course there's been a lot of the news and what's happening [snorts] in the world um because Palantir is certainly um part of that story. So over the weekend uh the US and Israel bombed
Iran in Operation Epic Fury. Ayatollah Khamenei is dead. The Middle East is now for the future of the West, something you talk a lot about, and the future of >> Well, first of all, I'm delighted to be on stage with you, and um
audience, by the way, I'm I've been talking so much, I'm kind of losing my voice, but I didn't I I would have probably canceled on anyone but you, but >> [laughter] >> Yeah, I love to cancel, by the way, for
favorite thing, cuz I I actually am an introvert. Any excuse to cancel, as as libertarians know, it's uh yeah. Um but yeah, you've been such a force um in public and behind the scenes for,
you know, I think helping people in the broadly speaking defense tech, or let America wins, or things that are good, uh broadly defined, um and then we also align on something we could talk about later on, like the
importance of not putting our youth in straightjackets because they're divergent neurologically, which is a passion of of mine, and should be a passion of everyone's, since you could define our wonderful and great country
uh as a country where everyone who was divergent in ideology, thought, divergent in ideology, thought, religion, or quite frankly, like uh uh neurologically, came to this country to have a better place where they could
express their freedom, and had the right to A, express what they thought, which and there's a deep link between expressing what you think publicly and privately, first and fourth amendment, and being able to think it,
and if that doesn't work, being able to defend it with the second amendment. Uh and uh the and last not least, our our founders founders uh uh did not structure these rights the way they are in, say, where I lived for
a lot of my life in Germany, as rights granted to us by other bureaucrats. We they're given to us, they're inalienable from a higher being. Uh and uh I would just say, before I get into uh how the world's changed,
we have American war fighters on the battlefield uh willing to sacrifice their lives uh some of whom have sacrificed their lives. They have families and kids. So, the kids and families don't know if
their loved ones are coming home and uh you know, we uh I know in this room, but we should publicly, privately support them and people who are not aware or somehow so effing spoiled that they don't realize what these people do for
don't realize what these people do for us, we should publicly humiliate them. Uh and everyone has a role in that. Uh and especially those of us who are riding a crest
riding a crest of of of intergenerational, cultural, of of of intergenerational, cultural, intellectual courage advantage, which it which it is to be an American nowadays, uh should not obviously should not
forget uh the war fighter, who are disproportionately uh from uh the middle of our our country uh and uh you know, I'm proud uh
very proud that at Palantir uh you know, we we get arrows and people it'd be good if they spent 2 minutes on Wikipedia at least learning the talking
points they're regurgitating. But but um you know, there's some legitimate criticisms uh of any company and but at the end of the day, the fact is the most important thing Palantir is doing
and that I other people in this room are doing and people like you and other people adjacent or ancillary to building uh uh more lethal and deadly weapons is to make sure that American war
uh are much more likely to come home. And quite frankly, the people who are trying to harm them uh know that they won't be coming home. And that's the way you stop people from attacking us, in my opinion. And then,
on the [clears throat] the kind of um the leading up to what's going on, but I think that there are probably people in this room who are wildly supportive, uh and there are people who aren't. It is hard to deny
that America is exerting a deterrent capability that was eviscerated. You you can like or not like. That's different than ignoring we now have a
deterrent capability that no other country appears to have. And that is for all for lots of reasons, and obviously uh the warfighter, people organize the warfighter, the generals, the leadership, the president.
But one advantage that often gets overlooked in it for reasons that make no sense is warfighting is technology. You know, I I spent half my life in in Germany for familiar reasons, and then I wrote
my PhD there. It it the and then the rise of America after World War II, the reason America was able to win World War II were technological advantages. And if you look what happened in, you
know, Operation Midnight Hammer, what happened in Venezuela, what's so far happened in Venezuela, what's so far happening uh uh in in in in Iran, happening uh uh in in in in Iran, you see one society just totally
dominating. That's our society. Now, you could get into I I would ex- I I I'm in friends about They're They're like, "But wouldn't it be better to have a rule a a
a law-based system where everyone is equal?" Yeah, sure, in theory. But in equal?" Yeah, sure, in theory. But in this world, it's us or China or Russia. >> And I don't know how you guys feel about those decisions, but I think we're doing
I literally believe we're doing the work of higher a higher purpose by making sure and not just for America, but for the whole world that we are the power that actually has the decisive vote. And there is only one way
to do that, and that is with military superiority. And when I say military superiority, I don't mean that we're arguing on a PowerPoint. It means But America so now you get to what is technology done. Now again, I think
whenever people like me are talking about this it you can't say enough that it's the warfighter and their courage and I'm not doing that. I'm sitting Um And you know, and I'm not and we have
Palantirians all over on like I'm talking to them constantly. So they're harm's way and you know, um I'm I am kind of but not directly. It's
I guess maybe there are some people want to shoot at me, but um it the the if you look at the rise of like in the in lifetime of Palantir, there's been the rise of software which
essentially meant meant your you know, software company that is supplying a steak dinner is obviously parasitic is not cutting it. That kind of those those companies are being eviscerated. You the rise of defense tech and now you
You the rise of defense tech and now you have a hybrid software hardware AI where you really need all three. Um uh interestingly from an investment perspective, um you know, I would say the last company
standing before we all have to salute the overlord of the LM will be Palantir, but it's mainly [laughter] >> We're going to get into that. I promise. um you you the the it's it's the
specificity of and the security and the orchestration. But, none of that has to make any sense to anyone in this room. I'll tell you adversaries right now. How is America doing this? Now, again,
it's specialized ways, it's 25, 30 years of experience in fighting, it's meritocracy, the Department of War is the most meritocratic environment. It integrated in Korea before our society did. Uh it's it it is the most popular
institution and most revered institution, and probably the only institution in America that is actually revered by the American people across every demographic. And it's revered by the American people
across every demographic precisely because it's been meritocratic. It If you were a black American, uh you got your break in America by going to the military. If you wanted to be treated fairly, uh and you were from a group
that you felt that every demographic has somebody who is in the military, whose life was changed, and it did something noble and the experience of coming home in America not sticking up for them.
Silicon Valley. Uh my one message for And again, I I don't I'm without getting in specific people or cuz I'm like if Silicon Valley believes we are going to take away everyone's white-collar
job, meaning primarily democratic shaped uh people that whom I grew up with, schools or went to schools that are almost elite, who vote for one party.
And you're going to screw the military. If you don't think that's going to lead you're [ __ ] And you might be particularly [ __ ] And you might be particularly [ __ ] cuz you have a 160 IQ. But, it's you
This is where that path is going. Like >> you cannot have technologies that simultaneously take away everyone's job and then be perceived Again, there's a lot of subtlety here behind behind the curtain. I've been heavily involved in
that subtlety. What can be where it can be deployed, what can be deployed. There's a difference between US military and surveillance and despite what everyone thinks Palantir is the anti-surveillance company. I know your
but every technical expert does so I end up in every conversation that I don't want to be in but the the danger for our industry is that
America you get a you get a famous horseshoe effect where there's only one thing people agree on and that's that this is not paying the bills and people and our industry should be nationalized. And And so the the the societal benefit
that is going on in Iran besides the fact that I think I suspect the Iranian people feel like finally someone's on my side and it wasn't the Berkeley faculty that was supposed to like me. Uh [laughter] it it's uh um
Uh [laughter] it it's uh um a big lesson for you. Yeah, it's so um and but then as America we and the people who are prominent in the tech industry, you know, we have to find a way to make sure that we're not just
popular in Palo Alto. >> Yeah. I I want to get back to something that it's it's either us winning or China country that it's a zero-sum game and it feels like the people in this room in
zero-sum but that Silicon Valley doesn't. Silicon Valley doesn't like to think that everything is a positive-sum game. So how would you explain to the people in Silicon Valley who are again building the LLMs, you know, building um
net new technology that hasn't existed before and therefore it needs to be to them about this new >> Well, I mean there's so first of all push back slightly. They do think it's
versus each other. So like they absolutely are fighting. There will be like it you know, it's my own rhetoric but I happen to think it's true. It's going to be chips, ontology and I suspect in the end one one and a
don't think it's zero-sum but then ask them how they feel about their >> very very I mean these people are fighting very very hard for the dominant position. So like what they don't understand is in the world it's
zero-sum. But I I actually think the primary issue in the valley is it's going to be zero-sum vis-a-vis you when America decides that look okay, I have a
figures. I have a lot of respect. I think and some are one winning issue, it is going to be zero-sum. It's going to be your money
and your company being zero-sum nationalized. So that's the part they don't understand. Helping people understand that you know, either we set the rules or de facto like I'm I'm much more
strong so that we don't have to worry about the enemies than our enemies are evil kind of thing. So I'm not super neocon. It seems to be very hard in this culture as someone who's lived abroad a lot of my
life. It's very hard in this culture to explain to people that we're in a competitive environment because things here are so good they don't understand how different it will be and how much we will change and how much the pressure
will be on America not just legally but militarily and culturally if we fall behind. And I one of the things that again, it's So I I personally think the better way to get people to change is to
Okay, go bring people like that to Iowa. Bring them to DC and explain to our American political leadership why you make a hundred million dollars and why a soldier from
Iowa can't explain to his wife he has the best technology. And then go across the hall, so let's classically Republican shape, then go across the hall and talk to progressive Democrats about how every one of their
constituencies not going to have a job. And then leave and imagine what's going to happen to you. You know, the funny thing about those of us who spent most of our life abroad, like in Germany, which is a phenomenal culture,
we have a much better sense of how fragile this experiment is, America. It could go wrong. And it will go wrong if if all wealth is going to a small number of people and those people do not appear to be on side. Now, that perception
caricature in the sense this is new technology and you're not going to be able to use the same kind of people who appreciate how it's different. And there are real questions
about Fourth Amendment protections, like our right to privacy. What is privacy in a world where you can impute what someone's doing at home through right to have our own thoughts, our own
ideas, our own practices at home, our own health records? That those are real issues when the technology can also help you to be healthier, live longer, uh have a higher economic status,
vocational worker. But so those issues have to be unpacked and where Silicon Valley is right is you you're going to need a forum to talk about that that doesn't pretend, you know, a large language model is the
machine learning is the same thing as software is the same thing as a bullet. They're they're not. Um uh but um but but but but de facto I I very much believe uh as a critique of the uh like uh economic
elite especially in in the technical area, there's there's like uh to use an economic a a kind of uh overly economic uh a philosophical term, they reify, meaning they turn it into a thing.
Our rights, but those rights, you know, when I was in Germany, I I was there and there were I spent a lot of time I did a PhD. Uh but I you know, there were a lot of older Germans and I I would spend time
city, of course, they they didn't know anybody who was a Nazi. In the countryside, they're like, "We're all Nazis." So, I would ask them. But the conversations is why they became Democrats or not like left-right, but
capital D. And it was always because it worked. And then the unwinding of it that we don't ask if it unwinds, you know, our it will not we will not be protected. And it it's just the dialogue we have
currently is not acknowledging what's going to happen politically, what is happening politically. You know, the wealth tax is a derivative of this isn't going to help the poor, it's just going to [ __ ] the rich. And that's
enough to get it done. And if if that's happening, just imagine there's going to be 50 unlikable people with all the money. >> Anybody here like that? And you guys are doing well.
>> Yep. No, I I I I want to get back to to kind of the conversation about how how we ensure that the Department of War continues to lead on AI because I think this has been top of mind for everyone in the room for the last 48 hours.
know, contracting wars um that are playing out in press releases. You know, that we win this AI race against the PRC? If you if you're giving advice to all the founders and CEOs of of you know the the the all our companies.
part of the reason I'm here besides your charm and importance what part of the I want My reputation in the valley every you which I'm not even saying the reputation is true. But in my case like I'm viewed
as the batshit crazy guy who is often telling you something you don't want to hear and you may not like but is probably right. >> [laughter] >> And that's why I want you to send this
first step we have to they're not understanding mistakes. And what I understand mistakes. This will affect you. Now then the question is like what Hollywood did is Hollywood got together.
The whole rating system was Hollywood realized if we don't do rating ratings Washington's going to. And Washington is going to butcher it. And it let's even say Washington doesn't want to butcher it. But like it it
doesn't understand the métier. So the first step is everybody and I'm already great I understand your issue. But you realize the wolves are at the gate and they already have tasted blood.
second step is we have to find ways where we get together and say okay like if you just want to go through the issues. Yes there are you know using technologies in the context of eviscerating
uh fourth amendment rights in America is a is something left and right in this caricature to believe that either side wants it. There are people on the people on the left who don't care about these issues who pretend to do it in
public do in public. But there are people and there people on the right who pretend not to care who do care. Both parties have significant coalitions and the American people cares care and it's in our constitution, but then you have
to get be very granular about what's going to happen on the battlefield because there the the two issues Americans care about are their prosperity and their safety. So, if the if if
the two things that Silicon Valley has to figure out is is what are we going to how are we going to ethically talk about what's going to happen to our economy. I in my view, you have you could create
a lot of prosperity with trade shaped people. Uh okay, but what is going to happen to the white-collar workers and what are we going to do? That That's one issue and then we we're not going to agree, but we
have to have something like a we're going to do these initiatives just like Hollywood did and then you're going to have to have a discussion on the battlefield where you know, the rebuttable presumption, meaning it
doesn't happen is that the we are going to do the maximal amount to make sure our war fighters come home safely. And if you are sitting in Silicon Valley making an argument that somehow would eviscerate that or conversely, you're
Valley saying, meaning there's going to have to be a medium. Without going into details on all these breakdowns cuz I was in the middle of it and I want to are substantive issues and there are cultural issues.
misunderstanding, we could get pretty close to agreements here, but you you're dealing with worlds that never ever ever talk and don't have an ability to talk bridge between these cultures for 20
why we have this conference is to bring together people who speak two different languages, very different value sets and try to get them aligned. I I'd love your new. You know, it's sort of like that meme, the first time meme with the Coen
a lot of these people are having their first conversations with the Department don't have any family in the military, maybe they've never never met a of these CEOs who are maybe new to these conversations that you've been having
for for 20 years now? >> Well, the best thing you could do is go to Iowa or go to a base and have a like I don't think look this way. Um maybe the first time
happily not married, not divorced, so don't follow how I live, but you don't have to maybe if you're going to meet somebody you really want to impress it maybe not maybe you have an advantage if it's your third girlfriend or boyfriend,
Like go have a conversation with somebody like if you're going to meet a general or somebody like that and you've never talked to somebody who's actually done something on the battlefield or someone who has family who's done
something on the battlefield and you don't have any because of that you don't have an ability to emphasize with their perspective, >> Yeah. >> And I that's probably going to backfire.
Last Secondly though, you have to be honest aware about where your aptitude um Silicon Valley tech builders broadly defined hardware, software, AI, I would say we build in the military
essentially software scaffolding much more like in a weird way more more like hardware software, but it's in software Um uh
it is the single biggest mistake people make in this area is because they're intelligent in one area, they assume they're intelligent in all areas. And a big failure mechanism in
the valley is every valley person is forced to present as if they're the smartest in all areas at all time. And that's like if you don't know who >> Like if you think you're the smartest person So I I'm dyslexic and I think one
of the reasons I've done so well is I do think I'm one of the better people at certain things least I believe it and I know I'm not at everything. It's a I know I'm not at everything. It's a very small It's like but a failure mode
for the valley is I'm the smartest on every issue. I For example, I need to be >> Yeah. >> What if you have no aptitude for that? Just cuz you can do X does not mean you've imputed high aptitude at Y. In
>> Yeah. >> It's It's almost certain that you're you are. >> That's probably one of the most builders in the room. I actually I I want to
um end the conversation on Palantir is the OG American Dynamism company. Um I are indebted. They've worked for you. They've um you know, built their playbooks inside of Palantir or they've built new companies that, you know, are
started at Palantir in many cases. And so I want to dive into you you brought one of my favorite things you've ever done. You've done a lot of great things, but I think it's it's one of the most extraordinary um stands that you've
taken in the company. But you've always looked for people who are different and somehow cultivated them and brought together people who are Democrats, people who are of all walks of life.
people especially at scale like at the scale you are? >> Well, I mean it's always hard to know when you're re- Like I I I view myself as an artist. So you really it's like well, how do you
create the art? And it's funny because I I mean I Look, I I like the freedom money gives me and I I certainly don't want to like do some good when because I did something bad cuz I
think what we do is uh very important. Um but it's like at the end of the day, it's like an artistic thing, but you know, I had It's always helpful. I had My parents are among the most talented
people I've ever met and I feel they don't agree with me that, like they should have They could like It's kind of weird I'm so famous. Put it that way from my And um
um uh I And I then there's the American thing where we are I really believe in the where we are I really believe in the magical liberating inalienable right for
all of us to be individuals and that's what I see as particularly moral and special in the world. I don't like these things that like I I've been famously anti-woke, but in The thing I find offensive about it
is actually that it's people pretending to be different while all being the same. And so I don't like uh so I tend to gravitate towards people who are unique and yeah, I don't
really care their politics. I care about like their ability to think and do. Um there is an aptitude thing where can you recognize somebody who is truly unique in something you've not done yourself is
Um I I do think it's a form of neurodivergence like outlier IQ is a It is certain way it's not that different than being autistic. Like you just can't
You're not going to You're not going to decomp a problem the way somebody who is all just normal smart will. Um and I find that very, very charismatic. The find that very, very charismatic. The trick to doing it is you have to
It's It's very hard thing where somebody who is the best I I believe the Palantirians will manage a Palantir and sometimes in many and most cases presumably after a Palantir I am helping them to express
something that only they can do at that moment and if you look at our actually true even what we're doing in in like right now it all across the Middle East and obviously in America each single product at each single part
that could have done it but that and then I have to somehow get them to do things that they don't actually think are valuable but on their terms and that's basically my job because at that level of aptitude you
like why would I do that you're the idiot and and then what I think is very special about the Palantirians ex-Palantirians and current Palantirians is
when you're at Palantir you're not learning to to actually follow my playbook you're learning to follow your playbook where I'm inserting some things that may not have occurred to you maybe you don't know I'm doing that
of your dyslexia basically I'm anti-dyslexifying your playbook it but around you and if you take like the I don't know there's so many really important ex-Palantirians what you'll see is
they're a kind of plastic people and they're not going to build the same going to build the same company of the ex-personal as Palantir and that's why and at the end of the day that's why Palantir is like
playing such a big role because like Foundry PG Apollo ontology the management of ontology Maven which is like you know we've just like been able to target in a way no other country can. It's like the other
countries are like, what the happened here? Like we were thinking Afghanistan. Like, what is this? Meaning our retreat. Like meaning and like like America has reestablished deterrence.
That actually just happened. It's happened in the last year. Like that right left center I don't care what party you're in in public. In private that is a phenomenal asset
that America now has that it did not have. And there are lots of reasons for it, but a one maybe not the most important is a concatenation of the most unusual in some cases otherwise maybe not fully
functional talent built around building something that was an absolutely scandalous unpopular dream rejected by many people called Maven. rejected by many people called Maven. And that's how this country By the way,
of the world, uh our single advantage is to augment neurodivergent highly individual people to be their
absolutely unique best and protect their first, second, fourth, and fifth screwed. >> Absolutely. Well, again, the OG American all you've done for the country. >> Thank you.