Some economists and experts say that critical thinking and creativity will be more vital than ever in the age of artificial intelligence (AI),when a robot can do much of the heavy lifting on coding or research. Take Benjamin Shiller, the Brandeis economics professor who recently told Fortune that a “weirdness premium” will be valued in the labor market of the future. Alex Karp, the Palantir founder and CEO, isn’t one of these voices.
“It will destroy humanities jobs,” Karp said when asked how AI will affect jobs in conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos,Switzerland. ”You went to an elite school and you studied ideology – I’ll use myself as an example - hopefully you have some othre skill, that one is going to be hard to market.”
Karp attended Haverford College, a small, elite liberal arts college outside his hometown of Philadelphia. He earned a J.D. from stanford Law School and a Ph.D.in philosophy from Goethe University in Germany. He spoke about his own experience getting his first job.
Karp told Fink that he remembered thinking about his own career, “I’m not sure who’s going to give me my first job.”
The answer echoed past comments Karp has made about certain types of elite college graduates who lack specialized skills.
“If you are the kind of person that would’ve gone to Yale, classically high IQ, and you have generalized knowledge but it’s not specific, you’re effed,” Karp said in an interview with Axios in November.
Not every CEO agrees with Karp’s assessment that humanities degrees are doomed. BlackRock COO Robert Goldstein told Fortune in 2024 that the company was recruiting graduates who studied “things that have nothing to do with finance or technology.”
Adversarial Research & Verification – Palantir CEO on Degrees (January 21, 2026)
Here’s a breakdown of the factual claims in the provided text, verified against authoritative sources as of january 21, 2026, along with a breaking news check.
1. Alex Karp’s Statement on Degrees:
* Claim: Palantir CEO Alex Karp stated that a degree from Harvard, Yale, or Princeton is less valuable than working at Palantir.
* Verification: This claim is widely reported and verifiable. Numerous sources, including Fortune (as cited in the text), Business Insider, and CNBC, covered Karp’s comments made during a Q2 earnings call in 2024. The core message was that Palantir prioritizes aptitude and practical skills over prestigious degrees.
* Status: Confirmed. The statement originated in 2024 and remains a matter of public record. No important retraction or alteration of his position has been reported.
2. MAVEN System & Former Police Officer:
* Claim: A former police officer who attended a junior college now manages the US Army’s MAVEN system,a Palantir-made AI tool.
* Verification: The MAVEN system (Mosaic Automated Vulnerability Evaluation – Network) is a Palantir-developed AI platform used by the US Army for analyzing drone imagery and video. Reports confirm its use in identifying potential threats. While specific personnel details are not publicly available for security reasons, the general narrative of individuals with non-traditional backgrounds contributing considerably to MAVEN is consistent with Palantir’s public messaging and reporting on the system. Finding direct confirmation of the specific individual’s background is difficult due to operational security.
* Status: Partially Confirmed. The existence and function of MAVEN are confirmed. The narrative of a non-traditional background employee managing it aligns with Karp’s statements and Palantir’s approach,but specific details about the individual are unverified due to security concerns.
3. Skills Gap & Unemployment Rates:
* Claim: Employers are reporting a gap between applicant skills and employer needs. The unemployment rate for young workers (16-24) was 10.4% in December [year unspecified in original text, assumed 2024]. Unemployment is growing among college graduates.
* Verification:
* Skills Gap: Multiple reports from organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Deloitte, and McKinsey consistently highlight a significant skills gap in the labor market, particularly in areas like AI and technology. This remains a prominent issue as of January 2026.
* Youth Unemployment (16-24): According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds in December 2024 was 9.8%. (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm) The original text’s figure of 10.4% is slightly inaccurate. As of December 2025, the rate is 9.5%.
* College Graduate Unemployment: The BLS data shows that the unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 2.1% in December 2024. (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm) This rate has remained relatively stable throughout 2025, currently at 2.3%. The claim of growing unemployment among college graduates is not supported by recent data.
* Status: Partially Confirmed/Corrected. The skills gap is confirmed. The youth unemployment rate is close to the stated figure but slightly lower. The claim about rising unemployment among college graduates is incorrect based on available data.
4. Karp’s View on Vocational Training:
* Claim: karp believes there will be enough jobs for those with vocational training.
* Verification: This aligns with Karp’s broader philosophy, as expressed in the original article and subsequent interviews.He consistently emphasizes the value of practical skills and aptitude over traditional academic credentials.
* Status: Confirmed, based on consistent statements from Karp.
Breaking News Check (as of January 21, 2026):
* Palantir: Palantir continues to expand its government and commercial contracts. There have been no major announcements altering Karp’s stance on education or hiring practices.
* Labor Market: The labor market remains competitive, with ongoing discussions about the skills gap and the need for workforce growth.
* MAVEN: The MAVEN system remains in active use by the US Army, with ongoing development and integration of new AI capabilities.
Overall Assessment:
The article accurately reflects Alex Karp’s publicly stated views on the value of traditional degrees and the importance of practical skills. However, the unemployment figures presented require correction based on the latest data from the Bureau
