Topline<\/p>\n
Palantir CEO Alex Karp on Wednesday called the AI industry \u201ceffing insane\u201d in a heated interview on CNBC, accusing leading AI firms of overcharging, exploiting customer data and jeopardizing U.S. national security. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the voice of American business that is being channeled through me,\u201d the billionaire cofounder remarked.<\/p>\n
AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Karp, who appeared<\/a> on CNBC to discuss Palantir\u2019s partnership<\/a> with Nvidia in a deal to help the U.S. government use advanced AI more securely, said CEOs he speaks with privately are \u201clivid\u201d with leading AI companies and that Palantir\u2019s recent deal with Nvidia was designed to relieve those concerns.<\/p>\n He criticized the U.S. for relying on AI companies to develop technology for the military and national security, saying: \u201cAre we really going to outsource the battlefield of this country to the consensus view in Silicon Valley? That is effing insane.\u201d<\/p>\n Karp accused AI companies of imposing a \u201cwealth tax\u201d on businesses by charging high fees for their AI tools while collecting valuable data that could improve their own AI models.<\/p>\n At one point during the interview, one host commented, \u201cYou sound pretty angry,\u201d to which Karp responded, \u201cThis is the voice of American business that is being channeled through me,\u201d and suggested other CEOs would express the same anger in private.<\/p>\n After the interview appeared to end, Karp asked the hosts, \u201cAre we still on?\u201d<\/p>\n Shares of Palantir soared by more than 9% as of Wednesday morning. <\/p>\n forbes valuation<\/p>\n Karp has a fortune valued at $12.3 billion as of Wednesday, according to Forbes\u2019 estimates. Karp cofounded Palantir with billionaire Facebook investor Peter Thiel<\/a> ($27.4 billion), whom Karp met while at Stanford Law School, and Stephen Cohen<\/a> ($4.6 billion), and the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange through an unusual direct listing process in 2020.<\/p>\n key background<\/p>\n The rollout of new AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic in recent months has drawn criticism from the U.S. government. The Pentagon designated Anthropic a \u201csupply chain risk\u201d in March, after Anthropic claimed the company refused to remove restrictions preventing its technology from being used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. Days earlier, amid a broader contract dispute with Anthropic, the Pentagon reached a deal with OpenAI that sparked criticism from AI policy and legal experts. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in June requesting that companies allow federal oversight of new AI models before they are publicly released. OpenAI announced last week it would roll out new AI models, but said broader access would come after a \u201climited preview for a small group of trusted partners\u201d approved by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n tangent<\/p>\n Anthropic said late Tuesday the Commerce Department lifted export controls on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after the government banned the company from allowing foreign nationals to access its newest models over national security concerns. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the government had \u201cworked closely\u201d with Anthropic to \u201canalyze and improve\u201d Fable 5 and \u201cstrengthen America\u2019s leadership in AI.\u201d<\/p>\n