Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar has observed a significant shift within the technology community, stating that tech entrepreneurs are increasingly building with the national interest in mind, a trend he links to the period since President Donald Trump's return to the White House. Sankar discussed these developments on the "Ruthless" podcast.
"You have hundreds of founders out there now who are building in the national interest," Sankar said in an interview released Thursday. "And I think this is a sort of galvanizing message for us to go and get after it."
His remarks were made at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This event, organized by Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., brought together technology and defense sector executives with senior government and military leaders.
Sankar, also the author of "Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III," highlighted the economic advantages artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing to American communities, including job creation. He cited an example of a submarine parts manufacturer in Pennsylvania that, with AI implementation, was able to add a third shift. The AI system reduced production planning time from two weeks to two-tenths of a second, enabling increased part production and a subsequent need for more workers.
Podcast co-host Michael Duncan noted Sankar's ability to make complex technological topics relatable. "Too often I find that these conversations around innovation, whether that's defense tech or AI, are so abstract," Duncan said. "And what I love about the stories you tell is that you make it tangible in people's lives."
Duncan also commented on the growing sentiment against data centers, mentioning New York Governor Kathy Hochul's recent action to freeze the construction of new data centers in the state. He contrasted this with Sankar's perspective on AI's benefits.
Donald Trump addressed the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, emphasizing the importance of the defense and technology sectors for national security. Podcast co-host Comfortably Smug suggested that the Trump administration played a significant role in advancing AI development, stating, "This administration really gets that. We've seen a result. The efficacy has gone off the charts."
Sankar also shared that working closely with uniformed service members has deepened his appreciation for his work, stating, "If you spend time with these uniformed service members going into harm's way, you just have to do the work for them. It gives you a different perspective."