Transcript: Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer of Palantir, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 11, 2026

Key Points:

• Shyam Sankar, CTO of Palantir, emphasizes that AI development should include clear benefits for American workers and prosperity, while cautioning against doomsday narratives driven by a fringe belief system called effective altruism among some AI researchers.
• Sankar argues that existing U.S. laws provide a strong foundation for regulating AI applications and that the technology industry has a responsibility to engineer safe products and demonstrate economic value, rather than opposing all guardrails.
• He clarifies Palantir's position on AI governance, noting the company did not sign the White House AI safety pledge because it does not develop AI models but supports safe deployment of AI through its platforms.
• On military AI use, Sankar states AI enhances targeting efficiency but insists humans retain control and accountability; he disputes reports that AI overreliance caused civilian casualties in Iran, attributing errors to human mistakes.
• Sankar also discusses his role in the Army Reserves helping modernize talent management for coding specialists, highlighting careful conflict-of-interest management between corporate and government roles.