Top executives at Palantir, a data-mining software company, have criticized Silicon Valley for abandoning its history of working with the government to tackle national priorities in favor of addressing “trivial” consumer concerns. In an Atlantic essay, CEO Alex Karp and Nicholas Zamiska, head of corporate affairs and legal counsel to the CEO, argue that Silicon Valley has strayed from its origins as a collaborative force between science and the state.
The authors point out that Silicon Valley’s roots in government-contracted work during World War II and the Cold War era have been largely forgotten. Instead, tech giants now focus on consumer markets like online advertising and social media platforms. Karp and Zamiska see this shift as a problem, arguing that tech leaders prioritize profits over meaningful contributions to society.
The authors note that some companies, such as Microsoft, are involved in defense contracts, but the trend is still skewed toward addressing trivial consumer issues. They urge the need for closer ties between governments and the software industry to harness technology for societal benefit.
Palantir, which has expanded into commercial space, has seen significant gains in recent years, with its market cap now exceeding that of defense giants like RTX and Lockheed Martin. The company’s inclusion in the S&P 500 was celebrated by Karp, who praised retail investors who maintained faith in the company despite conventional wisdom.
Karp and Zamiska call for a “reconstruction of a technological republic” and a return to shared purpose, suggesting that the US and democratic allies must work together with the tech sector to address pressing societal challenges.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/02/16/silicon-valley-culture-trivial-national-defense-education-palantir-alex-karp