Palantir's manifesto calls for AI militarisation critics call it dystopian and 'technofascism’

How often does a tech company have a manifesto, one that is not only pro-Western but also challenges the modern liberal and inclusive values and calls for brute force? Palantir Technologies the silicon valley based software compnay which is deeply integrated into Israeli Defence Sector and employs former members of Unit 8200, Israel's elite cyber intelligence agency has released 22 point mini-manifesto a short summary of CEO Alex Karp's book "The Technological Republic" which critics argue that intends to establish a controversial dystopian society and “technofascist” merger of unchecked corporate power and military statecraft.

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What is Palantir's mini manifesto? Why is it controversial?

The mini manifesto argues that Silicon Valley “owes a moral debt” or has an “affirmative obligation” to participate in the nation's defence. It urges hard power to uphold the ideas of modernism, such as free and democratic societies, but discards the moral and ethical values of modernity, such as pluralism and inclusivity.

“The question is not whether AI weapons will be built; it is who will build them and for what purpose.” This is a maximalist argument based on the premise of technological determinism, one that is built on a false binary; if we don't do it, the enemy will. These are at the root of an arms race, one that resembles the Cold War. “Our adversaries will not pause to indulge in theatrical debates about the merits of developing technologies with critical military and national security applications. They will proceed.”

It argues that the age of nuclear deterrence is over and a new era of dominance is set to begin based on AI. Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis argues that this means they proudly announce the arrival of AI-driven nuclear armageddon. It argues for the remilitarisation of Japan and Germany. “The postwar neutering of Germany and Japan must be undone. The defanging of Germany was an overcorrection for which Europe is now paying a heavy price.” Mark Coeckelbergh, a Belgian philosopher of technology at the University of Vienna, has argued that this kind of messaging, a merger of corporation and military, is a hallmark of fascism.

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Palantir is already facing severe criticism over its role in US President Donald Trump's controversial immigration crackdown and for helping in facilitating severe crimes of the Israeli military in Gaza and the West Bank. Many critics have argued that the book “The Technological Republic” advocates for a kind of cultural supremacy and ethonationalism, labelling other cultures as "dysfunctional" or "regressive", a trend noticed in 20th-century manifestos such as “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler. It dehumanises soft values such as empathy and inclusivity as “hollow” and leaps towards might-is-right philosophy.