Palantir Technologies is one of the most influential and covert technology enterprises in the globe. Based on the wave of terror attacks that included the 9/11 attacks, the company was formed with the aim of assisting with military and intelligence tasks; the company currently uses data and AI to guide governments and businesses in making better decisions.

Palantir tools have been applied in over forty industries where terrorist attacks have been thwarted, as well as impacting the performance of companies positively. However, along with that power also comes criticism—more so in relation to privacy and government surveillance.

This article is going to tell you all about Palantir Technologies, its CEO, its core products, how customers use it, and the grand problems that the company faces.

Quick Overview Table: Palantir Technologies

Topic	Details
Founded	2003
Founders	Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, Joe Lonsdale, Stephen Cohen
CEO (2025)	Alex Karp
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado (moved from Silicon Valley)
Main Products	Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, AIP
Clients	Governments, intelligence agencies, healthcare, finance, manufacturing
Known For	Military software, data analytics, AI tools
Criticisms	Privacy concerns, immigration enforcement, predictive policing
IPO	Went public in 2020 (Direct listing)

What Is Palantir Technologies?

Palantir is a tech company that develops applications to guide people on how to decipher and utilize heaps of information. This is because its technology links information of various points and converts it into clear real-time knowledge for governments and businesses.

It made the company well-known because it assisted the U.S. military to fight terrorist activity and organize secret missions. However, nowadays, it also operates with banks, hospitals, factories, and energy corporations.

It has over 40 industries in which it is used to solve complex problems using AI tools.

Who Is Palantir’s CEO?

Alex Karp is the CEO of Palantir Technologies. He co-founded the company in 2003 and has been leading it since the beginning.

Karp is different from most Silicon Valley CEOs. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy and often speaks openly about his views on Western values, privacy, and the role of tech in society. He doesn’t always agree with other tech leaders and moved Palantir’s headquarters from California to Colorado to avoid Silicon Valley’s “groupthink.”

Though his co-founder Peter Thiel is a well-known Trump supporter, Karp calls himself a progressive and has supported Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Palantir’s Main Software Products

Palantir has four major products that help clients work with data and AI.

1. Palantir Gotham

Used by the military, police, and intelligence agencies to track threats, plan operations, and understand situations in real time. It can analyze satellite images, track ships or aircraft, and suggest possible actions in emergencies.

2. Palantir Foundry

Used by businesses like banks and manufacturers. It pulls in data from different systems, creates a “digital twin” of the business, and helps improve operations by automating tasks or predicting outcomes.

3. Palantir Apollo

This is Palantir’s delivery platform. It updates and installs Gotham and Foundry safely across many environments—whether in the cloud, on-premise, or at the edge (like in battlefield situations).

4. Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP)

A newer tool that allows companies and governments to build and use AI models—like chatbots or automation agents—while keeping the systems secure and controlled.

How Does Palantir’s Technology Work?

The software produced by Palantir is not just any software that merely displays some charts and graphs. It gathers information across various locations, including satellite data, documents, spreadsheets and databases, and converts it into definite guidelines powered by AI.

The Gotham tool could help military leaders demonstrate to commanders where an adversary is concentrated, and the Foundry tool could assist a hospital in planning and managing its stock or anticipating needs.

Notably, the site is constructed with high security. Data can only be accessed by the users who have the appropriate permissions. All the transactions performed on the platform are documented in order to be able to audit them later.

Who Uses Palantir’s Software?

Palantir has two main types of customers: governments and businesses.

1. Government Customers:

• CIA and Department of Defense use Gotham for intelligence
  
• Department of Homeland Security uses it for border control
  
• Health departments used Foundry for vaccine distribution during COVID
  
• Tax agencies use it to detect fraud
  

2. Commercial Customers:

• Credit Suisse: Detects illegal trading
  
• Ferrari F1 team: Analyzes car data for racing decisions
  
• Airbus: Quadrupled jet production by connecting 400+ data sources
  
• Healthcare and energy companies also use Palantir to improve efficiency
  

Controversies and Criticisms

Despite its success, Palantir has faced major backlash and protests.

Immigration Enforcement

Palantir built tools for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that helped track and deport undocumented immigrants. Over 200 employees protested the company’s involvement, and Amnesty International condemned its role in family separations.

Predictive Policing

Police departments used Palantir to predict who might commit a crime or become a victim. Civil rights groups say this technology may reinforce bias and violate privacy. Some cities, like New Orleans and Los Angeles, have stopped using Palantir after public criticism.

Data Privacy

As Palantir expands into education, health, and social services, watchdogs worry about the creation of a “big government database” that could be misused for surveillance or political targeting.

Major Milestones in Palantir’s Journey

Year	Event
2003	Palantir founded by Thiel, Karp, and others
2005	CIA’s In-Q-Tel invests early in Palantir
2008–2017	Launch of Gotham (for military) and Foundry (for business)
2020	Goes public on NYSE via direct listing
2023	Launches AI platform (AIP) to support secure AI use
2024	Wins $178M Army contract for TITAN AI battlefield system
2025	Trump administration revisits Palantir immigration tech programs

Final Thoughts: Why Palantir Matters

Palantir is not just another software company. It’s at the center of some of the most sensitive and powerful technology in the world. From stopping terrorism to helping companies optimize operations, its tools are deeply embedded in both public safety and private enterprise.

At the same time, its influence raises big questions about how far data and AI should go—especially when they’re used to monitor people, track immigrants, or predict crimes.

CEO Alex Karp and his team argue that their work helps protect Western values and improve society. But critics warn that the same tools can easily be used for control, surveillance, and injustice.

Whether you see Palantir as a protector of civilization or a danger to civil liberties, one thing is clear: It’s one of the most important tech companies of our time.