⭐⭐⭐ The Technological Republic by Karp
| Full Title | The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West |
| Authors | Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Date Read | March 10, 2025 |
| Rating | 3/5 stars |
I had been vaguely aware of these kinds of opinions being held by the Palantir guys for quite some time — I recall some sort of story on Karp back all the way when I originally was considering working at the company out of college (2015). In general, they’re are mostly preaching to the choir with me; I’m already generally sold on their views that we should spread democracy and that folks should be comfortable supporting the US government within the context of their work.
I found the book to be overall pretty disappointing, though. One thing is that it could have really used a professional co-author (or at least a heavier-handed editor) — the structure of Technological Republic is confused where in one chapter you’re hearing about how Silicon Valley initially developed, another it’s how universities decide how to teach history, and then in the next is an explanation of why Palantir gives new employees a book about improv. It makes Technological Republic feel authentic to the authors, but also more of just a collection of the different thoughts that Karp and Zamiska have rather than a cohesive work of art.
I did enjoy quite a few points made by the book. Perhaps the best point is that AI represents a capability / weapon on the level of the atomic bomb. I don’t know if I had really thought about it this way, but in general buy into the concept. Another is that the cultural shifts of the 1960s and 70s kicked off a change in how we teach history (or, in other words, indoctrinate our youth and ensure we have a cohesive culture). The latter in particular I’d like to learn more about; I’ve heard Closing of the American Mind deals with this, so perhaps I’ll pick that up next.
Ultimately I think that I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are pretty enmeshed in the culture wars and/or care about Silicon Valley. Otherwise, you probably get most of the vibe from the current cultural shift that the country seems to be going through.