Karp Alex, Palantir CEO. /Courtesy of Yonhap News
Palantir CEO Alex Karp argued that the real risk of artificial intelligence (AI) lies not in the technology itself but in the profit-seeking of the corporations developing it.
On Nov. 2 local time, in a shareholder letter released alongside third-quarter earnings, CEO Karp said, “The AI alignment problem certainly exists, but it is different from what is generally known,” and stated accordingly.
AI alignment means aligning AI’s goals and behaviors with human intentions and values. Concerns have been raised that if alignment fails, AI could pursue independent objectives beyond human control.
However, CEO Karp noted, “The real problem is not aligning the goals and capabilities of a technical creation with human interests,” adding that it is “to align the goals of the corporations developing that technology with the interests of customers and all of humanity.”
This is interpreted to mean that we should be more wary of the possibility that major AI developers such as OpenAI and Anthropic will prioritize their own profits and infringe on the interests of customers and society than of the possibility that AI will behave in a hostile manner toward humans.
CEO Karp has previously criticized AI developers for trying to absorb corporations customers’ core data and competitive edge into their own AI. In this letter as well, he emphasized, “We have no interest whatsoever in software that exploits the value and competitive edge of our partners.”
CEO Karp also issued a warning that corporations that fall behind in adopting AI technology will be pushed out of the competition. Quoting a Bible verse, he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear,” arguing that corporations that fail to adapt to technological change will lose growth opportunities and fall behind.
He also pushed back against criticism of providing AI technology to the military sector. CEO Karp said, “We consider ourselves pioneers of the true anti-war movement,” emphasizing that the company’s technology contributes to the survival and safety of service members carrying out national defense.
Meanwhile, Palantir said its third-quarter revenue that day came to $2.313 billion (about 3.1 trillion won), up 96% from a year earlier.
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