Palantir CTO Links AI Doomerism to Secularism, Cites ‘God-Shaped Hole’

Palantir’s Chief Technology Officer, Shyam Sankar, has voiced strong skepticism regarding prevalent AI “doomerism” scenarios, attributing these catastrophic predictions to a spiritual void among certain technologists.

Sankar suggests that many secularists in Silicon Valley are attempting to fill a “God-shaped hole” within themselves, and are doing so with fears surrounding artificial general intelligence (AGI). He provocatively questioned the leap from improving AI models to an inevitable “cliff” where these systems might turn humanity into “house cats.”

According to Sankar, individuals with strong religious beliefs tend to be more skeptical of dire AI outcomes. Conversely, he notes that transhumanists often become proponents of AI doomerism, suggesting it aligns with their own hopes and fears for the future of humanity and technology.

The term “doomerism” in this context refers to the belief that advanced artificial intelligence will lead to widespread calamitous events, ranging from mass unemployment to even human extinction.

Addressing concerns about AI’s integration into military applications and the potential for machines to replace human decision-making, Sankar dismissed “Terminator nightmare scenarios.” He argued that incorporating AI into military technology represents a difference “of degree rather than kind,” implying an evolution rather than a complete paradigm shift that would lead to uncontrolled autonomous systems.

Furthermore, the Palantir CTO critically labeled AI doomerism as a “fundraising shtick.” He posited that companies at the forefront of AI development might leverage these catastrophic warnings to attract investment, implying, “my technology is so powerful, it’s going to lead to mass unemployment, so you better invest in me or you’re going to be poor.”

Sankar also highlighted a disconnect, stating that those propagating doomerism often “are sitting in Silicon Valley, building these models, spending no time on the front lines of how are people using this.” He asserted that when AI truly intersects with practical, real-world applications, it often serves to empower workers, enabling them to achieve more, rather than displacing them.