September 17, 2026
WHEN: Today, Thursday, September 17, 2026
WHERE: CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street”
Following are excerpts from the unofficial transcript of a CNBC exclusive interview with Palantir Co-Founder & CEO Alex Karp on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” (M-F, 9AM-12PM ET) today, Thursday, September 17. Following is a link to video on CNBC.com: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2026/09/17/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-ai-needs-to-have-reasonable-guidelines.html
All references must be sourced to CNBC.
KARP ON THE BIGGEST DANGER OF AI REVOLUTION
ALEX KARP: THE BIGGEST DANGER CURRENTLY OF THIS REVOLUTION IS THAT IT GENERATES, INESCAPABLY, I THINK IT WILL RAISE THE BOATS OF MOST PEOPLE, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE A REVOLUTION WHERE I BECOME 50 TIMES WEALTHIER AND EVERYONE ELSE BECOMES 10 PERCENT WEALTHIER. IT'S GOING TO DRIVE POLITICAL INSANITY.
KARP ON THE LIABILITY ATTACHED
KARP: THE FIRST STEP ISN'T TO SAY WE GET OUT OF IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO SELF-REGULATE OR WE WANT REGULATION. THE FIRST STEP IS TO SAY, OKAY, YOU'VE DISCLOSED THIS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? AND THE SECOND STEP IS TO SAY, IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT, IF YOU'RE NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE HERE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED. THAT'S GOING TO BE ALSO VERY COMPLICATED BECAUSE REGULATING THESE THINGS NEEDS PEOPLE. YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THEM. ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE IS SEEMINGLY EVERYONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THIS IS ON SOME PAYROLL. SO IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WHO YOU'RE GOING TO TRUST.
KARP ON HIS VIEWS OF DARIO AMODEI
KARP: THIS IS WHAT'S MADE HIM SUCH A GREAT BUSINESS LEADER. THERE’S A REASON WHY THE BEST ENGINEERS AND RESEARCHERS WANT TO WORK FOR HIM. IT'S THE REASON WHY HE CAME FROM FIFTH BEHIND TO NUMBER ONE. THIS IS A VERY, VERY SMART, SHREWD, ETHICAL PERSON.
KARP ON EITHER WE WIN OR CHINA WINS
KARP: EITHER WE ARE GOING TO WIN AND PROVIDE THE STACK TO THE WORLD, AND STACK DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE WHOLE PART, OR THEY'RE GOING TO WIN. AND THAT MEANS THE THE DANGER IS NOT JUST THE DANGER OF DANGEROUS THINGS HAPPENING TO HUMANITY. WHICH, BY THE WAY, WHAT BUSINESS ISN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR MINDING YOUR OWN SAFETY?
KARP ON CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY
KARP: I THINK THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. I THINK THE DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING IS I WANT TO DO THINGS. I WANT NEW RULES FOR MYSELF, AND I DON'T WANT TO PAY THE TRUE COST OF THAT, WHICH IS LIABILITY, PRIMARILY CIVIL, BUT POTENTIALLY, OBVIOUSLY, CRIMINAL.
KARP ON CHOICE BETWEEN US AND CHINA
KARP: IN THE END, THERE'S A CHOICE. EUROPE HAS DECIDED TO NOT PARTICIPATE. ISRAEL IS SMALL. WHERE IS A CHOICE? IS IT US MAKING THESE VERY HARD DECISIONS THAT WILL BE IMPERFECT, OR IS IT THEM?
KARP ON AI SAFETY CONCERNS
KARP: THE CLIENTS, OUR PARTNERS, ARE LIVID AT THE KIND OF SAFETY THEY'RE MOST UPSET ABOUT, WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS THE THEFT OF THEIR ALPHA, MEANING THEIR IDEAS OF HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS, THEIR DATA, IT LANDING IN A MODEL, AND THEY FIND OUT THAT THE THE COMPETITOR NEXT DOOR HAS ALL OF THEIR ALPHA, MEANING HOW THEY DO THEIR BUSINESS, AND THEY PAID FOR IT.
KARP: BUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PEOPLE ARE REPORTING. EVERYONE THINKS THIS IS A SAFETY VERSUS NON-SAFETY VERSUS REGULATION. WHAT WHAT WHAT HE I BELIEVE HAS REALIZED IS, IF YOU IF YOU TAKE THE PHILOSOPHICAL FRAME THEY HAVE, WHICH IS WE ARE DESERVING OF HAVING ALL THE IP IN THE WORLD, WE THE THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO THINK THE WAY WE DO, THAT'S WHY YOU CAN'T WORK WITH THE MILITARY. THAT'S WHY YOU CAN TAKE THE IP FROM BUSINESSES AND PUT IN YOUR MODEL. THAT THAT MODEL WOULD REQUIRE SEVERE LIABILITY PROTECTION, AND THERE'S ONLY ONE INSTITUTION THAT CAN DO THAT: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
For more information contact:
Stephanie Hirlemann
CNBC
