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Mar 22, 2026 
Jacob Silverman, reporter and author known for exploring tech and politics, offers a brisk take on Palantir and the rise of “Palantirism.” He breaks down Palantir’s military roots, its role organizing government data, and how involvement in Ukraine reshaped the company. He also parses Alex Karp’s eccentric persona, political stances, and why parts of tech are pivoting toward defense work.
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Karp's Megalomania About Palantir's Influence
- Alex Karp projects certainty and megalomania about Palantir's influence on industry trends.
- Jacob Silverman notes Karp claims credit for ideas like forward-deployed engineers and frames critics as late adopters who now copy Palantir.
Palantir As The Surveillance State's Connective Tissue
- Palantir builds software platforms that organize large datasets for military, intelligence, and corporate decision-making.
- Jacob explains Palantir usually uses government or client data rather than collecting it directly, acting as connective tissue that enables mass surveillance.
Field Deployments in Afghanistan Shaped Palantir
- Early Palantir use in Afghanistan involved engineers deployed to army units mapping IEDs and iterating tools in the field.
- That forward-deployed model helped Palantir win secretive units like JSOC and shaped its product-development close to combat needs.
