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The cover of The Technological Republic

The Technological Republic

Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska, 2025

Explore why the authors believe Silicon Valley abandoned national purpose, how institutions lost confidence, and what rebuilding technological ambition would demand.

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7 parts, about 21 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Argues that Silicon Valley should turn from consumer apps back to public work like defense, and rebuild a shared national purpose
  • Challenges you to weigh what technology is for, and why builders cannot claim neutrality in the age of AI
  • Written by insiders who draw lessons from engineering culture, Afghanistan and the history of government funded innovation

Who it is for

  • Engineers deciding whether to work on defense or government projects
  • Policy makers thinking about AI and national security
  • Readers who question the tech industry's priorities

What the summary covers

  1. A Forgotten Bargain2 min
  2. AI and the End of Comfortable Neutrality3 min
  3. How Ambition Narrowed3 min
  4. The Missing Common Project3 min
  5. What Engineering Culture Gets Right3 min
  6. Bring Builders into Public Work3 min
  7. Rebuild the Technological Republic4 min

Recommended by

  • George WillPulitzer Prize winning columnist, The Washington Post
    Not since Allan Bloom’s astonishingly successful 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind . . . has there been a cultural critique as sweeping.
  • Edith ChapinFormer Editor in Chief of NPR
    Provocative . . . worthy of your time.

About the authors

  • Alexander C. KarpCofounder and chief executive of Palantir Technologies
    • Born in New York City on 2 October 1967.
    • Earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Haverford College in 1989, then a law degree from Stanford Law School in 1992.
    • Earned a doctorate in social theory from Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.
    • Cofounded Palantir Technologies, which builds software and artificial intelligence capabilities for defense and intelligence agencies in the United States and allied nations as well as for commercial companies.
    • Named to the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people in 2025.
    • The Economist chose him as its 2024 CEO of the Year.
  • Nicholas W. ZamiskaHead of corporate affairs and legal counsel to the chief executive's office at Palantir
    • Graduated from Yale College and received his law degree from Yale Law School.
    • Serves on the board of directors of the Palantir Foundation for Defense Policy and International Affairs.
    • Born in New York City.

Read it alongside

  • Puts it into practiceUnit X

    Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiska argue for a reciprocal bargain between the tech sector and government; Raj Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff propose procurement incentives and private capital to draw dual use firms into defense.

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