Daily Politics from the New Statesman How Palantir conquered the world
Nov 22, 2025
James Vincent, a technology and AI journalist, dives deep into Palantir's significant role in the UK, especially following its £1.5bn military investment. He demystifies how Palantir connects existing data for large institutions, emphasizing its surveillance ties with governments, police, and military. The conversation also covers Peter Thiel’s influence, Alex Karp's philosophical background, and the ethical implications of Palantir's operations in shaping state power and policy, leaving listeners to ponder the balance between innovation and privacy.
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Palantir Sorts Data, It Doesn’t Always Collect
- Palantir organises and links existing data rather than collecting most raw data itself.
- That linking makes large institutions' information manageable and actionable.
Tools Amplify Government Intent
- Palantir provides tools that enable governments to carry out policy but does not itself set policy.
- Those tools can amplify government intentions, making harmful actions easier to execute.
An Enabler, Not The Collector
- Palantir acts as an enabler of surveillance by linking siloed datasets rather than harvesting them.
- Former staff describe it as an amplifier of intention that serves government aims.
