Exclusive: Palantir defense head rejects complacency in AI race with China
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Mike Gallagher, Palantir head of defense, speaks at the Axios Future of Defense event this week. Screenshot: Axios
This is no time for complacency in the U.S. race for artificial intelligence against China, Mike Gallagher, Palantir head of defense told Mike Allen at the Axios Future of Defense event in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Gallagher suggested that leveraging software and AI to automate processes could help the Department of Defense reinvest resources into more critical military capabilities.
- Gallagher previously served in the U.S. House as a Republican representative from Wisconsin and chaired the House select committee on competition with China.
Zoom out: In the shadow of President-elect Trump nominating a slate of controversial figures to various White House or Cabinet posts, Gallagher warned political infighting could hinder innovation.
- When asked about Fox News Host Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for secretary of defense (with whom Gallagher overlapped at Princeton), Gallagher praised Hegseth's military experience.
- "Pete is a patriot," Gallagher said and, if confirmed, Hegseth would have "the second hardest job in the federal government — the world's biggest bureaucracy — struggling to modernize and trying to deal with two major deterrence failures" in eastern Europe and the Middle East and to prevent a deterrence failure in the Indo-Pacific.
- "My concern is that we find ourselves mired in cultural or political issues, and we don't get the actual meaningful modernization that we need done," Gallagher said.
Yes, but: As China and the U.S. battle for AI dominance, AI experts say it's increasingly important for the countries to find common ground on AI safety.
- This is increasingly difficult as Washington and Beijing lack even a basic understanding of each other's approaches to AI.
Catch up quick: Palantir recently teamed up with Amazon and OpenAI competitor Anthropic to make Anthropic's Claude models available to U.S. intelligence and defense agencies.
Zoom in: Gallagher emphasized that the challenge in AI innovation is ultimately a "human problem" — the ability to attract the best and brightest talent, both domestically and globally, to work in the government and private industry.
- He stressed the importance of making it easier for talented individuals to serve in government or work productively with the government, which is crucial for maintaining the U.S. edge in areas like AI.
When Palantir CEO Alex Karp publicly said that America was a force for good in the world, it was a "recruiting bonanza," Gallagher told Axios.
- "There are so many young patriots that want to work for a company like Palantir that is unapologetic in its desire to support the U.S. military and also do cool stuff in the commercial space," Gallagher said.
- "We do need to recognize that America is a force for good in this world, that we have serious adversaries. They must be deterred, and if necessary, sometimes they have to be destroyed," he added.
Go deeper: Palantir hires China hawk Mike Gallagher
