Palantir CEO Keen to Supply AI to Japan's SDF: "Can Gain an Overwhelming Advantage"

Nikkei Exclusive Interview

The CEO of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) software company Palantir said he was willing to supply AI systems to Japan's Self-Defense Forces. As the Japanese government considers introducing AI into the SDF's command-and-control systems, he expressed strong interest in developing AI systems specifically designed to defend Japan's borders and territory.

In an exclusive interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on November 3, Palantir CEO Alex Karp said, "Japan can gain an advantage in developing a suite of exclusively defense-oriented AI products (a stack)."

The logo of U.S. software company Palantir Technologies. Reuters-Yonhap News.

Regarding Japan's next-generation defense systems, he said, "Rather than operating a huge military organization like the United States, Japan should develop AI systems specialized in defending its borders and territory." He added that Japan's military has historically been small but highly capable, and said that combining it with AI could give the country "an overwhelming advantage."

Japan's Ministry of Defense is pursuing plans to introduce AI into the SDF's command-and-control systems and reflect this in security documents due for revision by the end of 2026. Palantir's Maven Smart System (MSS) is seen as a particularly strong candidate for adoption.

However, Karp said Japan faces limitations in independently developing an entire AI system. Asked what he thought of the claim that Japan could have its own AI, he said, "For countries other than the United States and China, having the entire AI stack domestically is unrealistic over the next five years. They will have no choice but to use U.S.-made systems while gradually replacing them with their own."

He also praised Palantir's systems, saying they had been deployed in Ukraine and the Middle East. "In Ukraine, AI-powered drones have become the most effective weapons. In Israel, large weapons such as fighter jets and human personnel are being integrated with AI in a hybrid form," Karp said.

On the importance of adopting AI, he also expressed concern about China, saying that if the United States, Europe and Japan fall behind in AI adoption, "China will win in both commerce and defense."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.