How AI Is Changing Warfare | Palantir CTO

Patrick O'Shaughnessy sits down with Shyam Sankar, CTO of Palantir Technologies, to discuss the critical role of "heretics" in driving American innovation and military success. Shyam shares Palantir's unique approach to unlocking extreme talent through high-stakes "gamma ray" moments and explains the philosophy behind their pioneering Forward Deployed Engineering model. The conversation dives deep into the urgent need to re-industrialize the United States, the shifting dynamics of the global defense industrial base, and how the US can maintain its asymmetric advantages against adversaries like China. They also explore the power of enterprise ontology, the future of AI, and how holding onto a culture of rebellion is essential for long-term survival. #Palantir #ShyamSankar #Technology #Investing #DefenseTech #Manufacturing #Innovation #Engineering #AI #Leadership #mobilize Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:23 Defining Heretics in US Military History 8:36 Shyam’s Personal Disagreeableness 9:49 Formative Experiences & Worldview 12:52 What Makes America Exceptional 14:48 What Does Greatness Mean? 15:33 Alex Karp 16:46 How to Unlock Talent 19:21 Identifying Superpowers and Kryptonite 22:54 The Gamma Ray Moment 25:00 Palantir's Next 10 Years 27:03 Forward Deployed Engineering 33:40 Explaining What Palantir Is 37:50 Military vs. Commercial Customers 39:00 The State of the US Military Today 47:01 How to Re-Industrialize America 51:06 Perspective on China as an Adversary 56:17 How to Get More Heretics in Government 1:03:53 Managing Rapid Pivots & Momentum 1:08:48 Where Will AI Value Accrue? 1:13:33 Reasserting the Legitimacy of Institutions 1:15:54 To Do or To Be? 1:16:31 Reflecting on Fatherhood 1:17:34 Kindest Thing Presented by Ramp: https://ramp.com/invest Sponsored by Vanta, WorkOS, Rogo, and Ridgeline: https://www.vanta.com/invest https://workos.com/ https://rogo.ai/invest https://www.ridgelineapps.com/ ****** Patrick O'Shaughnessy is the CEO of Positive Sum. All opinions expressed by Patrick and podcast guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinion of Positive Sum. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Clients of Positive Sum may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this podcast. To learn more, visit psum.vc