Palantir CEO says AI will destroy some jobs, boost vocational careers | Latest Tech News
Workers with faculty levels in philosophy and other humanities will have a arduous time discovering jobs as artificial intelligence takes over the US economic system, Palantir CEO Alex Karp cautioned Tuesday.
Karp issued the warning after BlackRock CEO Larry Fink requested him if AI will “create jobs or destroy jobs overall” during a wide-ranging dialogue at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“It will destroy humanities jobs,” Karp replied. “[If] you went to an elite school and you studied philosophy — I’ll use myself as an example — hopefully you have some other skill. That one is going to be hard to market.”
CEO of Palantir Technologies Alex Karp speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual assembly in Davos on January 20, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
Karp, 58, is thought for his unorthodox path to main a top-tier tech company. He earned a a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Haverford College, a JD from Stanford Law School and later a Ph.D. in philosophy from the celebrated Goethe University in Germany before cofounding Palantir alongside billionaire Peter Thiel in 2003.
The Palantir boss didn’t level to particular fields that would face job losses, though graduates in the humanities often pursue careers in academia, law and authorities.
When prodded by Fink, Karp said white collar jobs would doubtless see some upheaval as a outcome of AI, while vocational profession paths that are usually categorized as blue collar will thrive.
As an instance, Karp pointed to vocational technicians who are building batteries and other elements for tech corporations.
“If you’re a vocational technician … [they are] very valuable if not irreplaceable because we can make them into something different than what they were very rapidly. Those jobs are going to become more valuable,” Karp said.
Overall, he believes there will be “more than enough jobs for the citizens of your nation, especially those with vocational training.” Employers, meanwhile, will need to develop “different ways of testing aptitude” past educational levels to get the most out of their staff.
Karp and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink had a wide-ranging dialogue in Davos. AFP via Getty Images
During the Davos dialogue, Karp and Fink agreed that an schooling in the humanities was already “hard to market” even before AI reshaped the economic system.
“It was hard to market. Very hard,” Karp said. “It’s a very, very strong education. If you can get a job, you might keep it. That’s what I always thought, if I finally get a job, I’ll probably keep it and do well, but I’m not sure who’s going to give me my first job.”
A quantity of tech executives have beforehand warned that AI will outcome in job losses, particularly in white-collar fields.
Last May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned of potential mass layoffs in fields like tech, finance and law that may push national unemployment to 20%.
Alex Karp cofounded Palantir in 2004. AFP via Getty Images
As The Post reported in December, Karp, who has described himself as neurodivergent, not too long ago announced that Palantir would offer a new fellowship program particularly crafted for neurodivergent expertise.
The program was announced shortly after Karp confronted social media snark after he was seen fidgeting in his chair and waving his arms throughout an interview with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin during the New York Times’ DealBook Summit.
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