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The Philosopher in the Valley

Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State

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 An acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer brings us into the world of the controversial technology firm Palantir and its very colorful and outspoken CEO, Alex Karp, tracing the ascent of Big Data, the rise of surveillance technology, and the shifting global balance of power in the 21st century.

Palantir builds data integration software: its technology ingests vast quantities of information and quickly identifies patterns, trends, and connections that might elude the human eye. Founded in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terrorism—an early investor was the CIA—Palantir is now a $400 billion global colossus whose software is used by major intelligence services (including the Mossad), the US military, dozens of federal agencies, and corporate giants like Airbus and BP. From AI to counterterrorism to climate change to immigration to financial fraud to the future of warfare, the company is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century.

Its CEO, Alex Karp, is a distinctive figure on the global business scene. A biracial Jew who is also severely dyslexic, Karp has built Palantir into a tech giant despite having no background in either business or computer science. Instead, he’s a trained philosopher who has become known for his strongly held views on a range of issues and for his willingness to grapple with the moral and ethical implications of Palantir’s work. Those questions have taken on added urgency during the Trump era, which has also brought attention to the political activism of Karp’s close friend and Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel.

In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger explores the world of Alex Karp, Palantir, and the future that they are leading us toward. It is an urgent and illuminating work about one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive and powerful companies, whose technology is at the leading edge of the surveillance state. Affaires Histoire et culture Professionnels et universitaires Science et technologie Technologie Surveillance Espionnage Guerre Militaire Informatique
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Karp politicized data software. Steinberger did not sufficiently respond or investigate why Karp entangled politics with technology when politics has nothing to do with the product - and got away with it. Sorting data is not the same as collecting it. That distinction was not articulated by the author. It’s akin to suggesting that an OS system, such as Microsoft or Apple, should be abandoned because “the enemy” uses it, too. Overall, the book reads like Steinberger was given a controlled tour around Karp’s brain. Attempts to appear objective are painful. I found the most engaging details involved Peter Thiel’s involvement and perspective. Thiel was absolutely right to suggest there could have been a faster way to realize a profit at Palantir than Karp’s political drama. What about exploring autism as it may or may not pertain to Karp’s behaviour? Or asking the hard questions about Karp’s youth? The story lacks depth by relinquishing control to Karp’s ego. And while the book is engaging enough to finish, it walks on Karp’s eggshells as though Karp commissioned it.

Panders to Karp’s Ego

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