How AI Is Changing Warfare | Palantir CTO

Shyam Sankar, CTO of Palantir Technologies, examines the role of "heretics"—founder-figures who defy bureaucratic orthodoxy to deliver critical innovations—in shaping American military and industrial success. Historical examples like Hyman Rickover demonstrate that true progress often requires individuals willing to endure extreme institutional resistance to build asymmetric advantages. Modern reindustrialization depends on fostering this same spirit of agency and "plasticity of thought" to overcome the stagnation caused by financialization and risk-averse procurement processes. By integrating forward-deployed engineering with a deep, ontology-based approach to data, organizations can move beyond rigid, legacy systems to solve complex, real-world problems. Ultimately, restoring American deterrence and industrial capacity requires mobilizing a new generation of builders who prioritize tangible outcomes over bureaucratic compliance, ensuring that institutions remain responsive and competitive in an era of great power competition.