{"id":96726,"date":"2026-07-03T23:44:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fallsurfing.net\/firstnews\/alex-karp-ceos-bragging-about-ai-layoffs-will-create-backlash-that-makes-bernie-sanders-look-moderate\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T23:44:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:44:43","slug":"alex-karp-ceos-bragging-about-ai-layoffs-will-create-backlash-that-makes-bernie-sanders-look-moderate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fallsurfing.net\/firstnews\/alex-karp-ceos-bragging-about-ai-layoffs-will-create-backlash-that-makes-bernie-sanders-look-moderate\/","title":{"rendered":"Alex Karp: CEOs Bragging About AI Layoffs Will Create Backlash That Makes Bernie Sanders Look Moderate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alex Karp warns tech companies and corporate America that rolling out AI insensitively could trigger a radical political backlash if there is no vision for how the broader economy is going to work. In interviews with CNBC and TBPN, the Palantir CEO warned that if they tell workers not to worry about problems they can see coming, it will fuel a political response that will make Bernie Sanders proposing nationalizing 50% of AI companies<\/a> look moderate. “They really believe that can’t happen, so they’re basically free-riding on the fact that it could,” he said. “If you run around saying AI allowed you to fire two-thirds of your workforce… you might as well just go sign up for Bernie Sanders’ manifesto.” “You know how people don’t think I’m progressive? In two years, they’re not going to think Bernie Sanders is progressive. They’re going to be like, Bernie Sanders, you only want 50%?” He says corporate leaders are “sleepwalking” toward their own destruction. “We have on the right and on the left people who have no earthly clue what they’re talking about. All they’re talking about is how much they hate us,” he said. “And those of us who are sensible in the middle – too many of us are chillaxing, like, Oh, nationalization, it can’t happen. America would never do that.” “If we don’t get our act together and figure out ways to say, Look, there are problems here, we’re going to deal with them,” he said. “You have to talk openly about how these things are valuable because we have adversaries. You can’t just say all that stuff.” “The primary risk, honestly, to Palantir and to a lot of these other companies is that it’s going to be nationalized. And before it’s nationalized, it’s going to be regulated by people who don’t understand this,” Karp said. “These things are very, very explosive. The American people sense that there is something dangerous here,” he said. “People are playing with that fire. It’s like they assume the fire won’t burn their hands. Well, that’s not the world we’re in. That fire is going to consume us.” <\/p>\n

ALEX KARP, PALANTIR CEO: When Bernie Sanders says, I’m going to take 50%,” you know what? CNBC HOST: You think that’s actually going to happen? If we keep going, Bernie Sanders – you know how people don’t think I’m progressive? In two years, they’re not going to think Bernie Sanders is progressive. They’re going to be like, “Bernie Sanders, you only want 50%? What is this 50%?” CNBC HOST: That’s where you think we’re headed as a country? ALEX KARP: We’re absolutely headed in that direction. And we’re headed in that direction simply because – leaving the tech aside, which is also driving it – the most important political decisions in this country are going to be driven by: Do you understand AI? Do you understand what it’s doing? And as importantly, are we going to tell the American people, Don’t believe your lying eyes”? Politicians in the past have done this. It does not work. The American people are really wondering what is going to happen to them, and the answers aren’t all good or bad. … ALEX KARP: If you’re listening to this and you’re chillaxing and not active, and I’m not saying you have to agree with me politically or anything, partly because of this dynamic, and it’s very self-inflicted. I can’t name names. I called many of the titans of this world and started this six months ago, like every couple of days. We’re going to be nationalized. I’ve been telling them for six months: We’re going to be nationalized. And they’re like, Why would anyone nationalize? Never happened in America. Why would anyone nationalize us? We’re so likable. We’re creating so much value. Okay, I’m not going to debate that. I know how likable I am. I’m not going to tell you how likable you are. But I am telling you, the momentum on this is on the side of people nationalizing. If we don’t get our act together and figure out ways we can say, Hey, look, there are problems here. We’re going to deal with them. These things are not going to – yes, they are going to create opportunities. You have to talk openly about how these things are valuable because we have adversaries. You can’t just say all that stuff. So the primary risk, honestly, to Palantir and to a lot of these other companies is that it’s going to be nationalized. Before nationalized, it’s going to be regulated by people who don’t understand this. And they’ll tell you in private, I’m working on this, I’m blah blah blah, and this lobbyist. It’s not going to work. So that’s something, if you’re listening to this and you’re like, look, you don’t have to agree with me on all my proclamations. I got a lot of – by the way, there are some people who think I’m saying we should have a draft. They’re too lazy to read. I’m just saying that in a world where everything is changing, everything is changing, don’t we have to find some communal structure to remember we’re American? You don’t like my idea of, like, we all do a week in the park? Great. Come up with some other idea. They’re like, well, I’m saying – I do not want a draft, just to be explicit. They’re like, Oh, that’s pro-war. No. Honestly, you know what? Most of our wars are fought because no working-class person is making the decision. You start making sure everyone’s involved in everything, and you’ll see how few wars we fight. It’s actually the anti-war position. In any case, disagree with everything. We have on the right and on the left people who have no earthly clue what they’re talking about. Right and left. All they’re talking about is how much they hate us, and those of us who are sensible in the middle – too many of us are chillaxing, like, Oh, nationalization, it can’t happen. America would never do that. Sleepwalking into – and you guys have tendies to protect now. You guys should be on the front line of this. … TBPN HOST: Last question, last question, if we have time. How are your conversations going with Fortune 500 CEOs around headcount planning? There have been so many layoffs this last year that people were saying, Hey, we’re getting so much out of AI, we’re able to cut back here or there. People inside tech often know, maybe there’s just a reduction because there needs to be a reduction, or it got bloated. HOST: Or a declining business model or the business just doesn’t have momentum. HOST: But how are those conversations going? What does it look like? ALEX KARP: I talk to Fortune 500 companies. I talk to unions. I talk to soldiers. If you upscale somebody, they’re more valuable. Whether it’s people working on batteries, people driving trucks, people, corporate leaders – and again, this is where I think we have to be very careful to be more disciplined on the corporate side. If you run around saying AI allowed you to fire two-thirds of your workforce and you did it because maybe your competitor is kicking your ass, like you might as well just go sign up for Bernie Sanders’ manifesto. Part of the thing is they really believe that can’t happen, so they’re free-riding on the fact that it could. It just cannot work anymore. These things are very, very explosive. The American people sense that there is something dangerous here. And when people are playing with that fire, it’s like they assume the fire won’t burn their hands. Well, that’s not the world we’re in. That fire is going to consume us. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here is more from the interviews with TBPN and CNBC: <\/p>\n

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FULL INTERVIEW: Alex Karp joins from AIPCon 10 to discuss tokenmaxxing, why taste matters in business, and political backlash against AI.<\/p>\n

00:30 – Alex Karp’s 5m30s dead hang routine
3:00 – Alex Karp on toxenmaxxing and the state of AI
5:10 – You can’t scale taste
8:30 – AI\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/iiFKaUlnNE<\/a><\/p>\n

– TBPN (@tbpn) June 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n