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NATO buys AI-powered military system from Palantir

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NATO has purchased an artificial intelligence-based military system from Palantir, the US software company headed by Donald Trump supporter Peter Thiel and with strong Pentagon connections.

The alliance’s choice comes at a time of increased concern among European members about a possible US withdrawal, following Trump’s threat to stop protecting the continent unless capitals significantly increase defense spending.

NATO is also racing to keep pace with the development of artificial intelligence military capabilities by rivals such as China. According to the alliance’s statement on Monday, Palantir’s Maven Smart System (MSS NATO) uses generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models to provide “commanders with a secure, shared operational capability” and will be used to support NATO operations.

Such “battlefield management systems” allow teams of 20-50 soldiers to do the work of reviewing battlefield data that previously required teams of hundreds or even thousands of personnel in recent conflicts such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

Noah Sylvia, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a London-based think tank, told the Financial Times (FT), “It can replace all those teams doing quite boring tasks.”

Sylvia noted that France had developed “Artemis,” which he described as “not a competitor but a domestic alternative” to Palantir’s Maven system, to avoid dependence on the US.

NATO is moving quickly to enhance its defense technology capabilities. According to the alliance, the completion of this contract, which was “one of the fastest contracts in NATO history,” took only six months, and the system is expected to be operational within the next 30 days.

Sylvia said, “To have it procured in six months is insane by defense standards. Software usually takes years to procure, certify, and then deploy, and by that time, it’s usually out of date.”

NATO announced that this acquisition, which “demonstrates a strong and lasting partnership between the North American and European technology base,” was completed last month. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is likely to be one of Palantir’s most significant defense contracts this year.

Thiel, one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent figures, was a leading supporter of Trump’s initial presidential candidacy in 2016 and played a major role in the selection of JD Vance, his vice president, as Trump’s vice-presidential candidate. Thiel is a pioneer of the “techno-libertarian” group in Silicon Valley and is known for his anti-democratic views.

According to federal records, Palantir has won more than $2.7 billion in US government contracts since 2009, with more than $1.3 billion of that from the Department of Defense. Palantir’s market capitalization has surpassed the total of the Pentagon’s traditional top 5 contractors.

The company’s shares have increased by more than 300% in the last 12 months, as investors expect the company to benefit from the Trump administration’s defense spending, as well as commercial customers using artificial intelligence systems.

The US Army is also using its own version of Palantir’s Maven technology and signed a five-year contract for $99.8 million for this technology last September.

A similar system was also used in Ukraine. Maven is used to combine satellite imagery with other battlefield intelligence sources, scan targets, and use machine learning to accelerate attacks.

The Pentagon’s Project Maven system dates back to 2017, when Google began using its technology. Google later withdrew from the program in 2018 after thousands of its employees protested the use of artificial intelligence in warfare.

Palantir provides NATO with a customized version of Maven that provides a platform where other software applications and data sources can be integrated.

Palantir’s senior advisor Shon Manasco said, “We are proud to support NATO’s effort to enhance its deterrence by establishing an AI-backed warfighting platform. This partnership underscores the alliance’s commitment to fearlessly lead in technological innovation.”

NATO said that MSS NATO will “enhance intelligence fusion, targeting, battlefield awareness, operational planning, and decision-making processes.”

General Markus Laubenthal, Chief of Staff at NATO’s military headquarters Shape [Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe] in Belgium, said, “ACO [Allied Command Operations] is at the forefront of embracing technologies that make NATO more agile, adaptable, and responsive to emerging threats.”

Laubenthal added that innovation is the foundation of NATO’s warfighting capability.

The commander also praised MSS NATO for its capacity to “leverage complex data, accelerate decision-making,” and add “real operational value.”

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Trump halts foreign student entry to Harvard

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US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order banning foreign students from entering the US to study at Harvard University.

Announcing the executive order on Wednesday, President Trump also stated he has authorized Secretary of State Marco Rubio to initiate the revocation of visas for the university’s foreign students.

Trump stated in the announcement that this decision was prompted by the university’s refusal to share information regarding “known illegal activities” committed by its international students.

The order was issued even though a federal judge in May had granted a preliminary injunction. This injunction prevented the administration from barring Harvard’s enrollment of international students, as part of an effort to penalize the school over allegations of “antisemitism and civil rights violations.”

The university states that it is working to resolve these issues on its own.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on X, “Admission to study at an ‘elite’ university in the United States is a privilege, not a right. The Department of Justice will vigorously defend the President’s decision to suspend the entry of new foreign students to Harvard University on national security grounds.”

In response, Harvard Spokesperson Jason Newton contended, “This is another illegal retaliatory step by the administration that infringes upon Harvard’s rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”

Trump’s feud with the university began in April when Harvard rejected the White House’s demand to revise its admissions and disciplinary policies, citing violations of free speech rights. The White House responded by withholding more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In early May, Trump announced plans to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Later that month, he proposed distributing the university’s $3 billion endowment to vocational schools.

International students make up approximately 27% of Harvard’s student population. The White House first requested in late May the cancellation of the university’s participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows universities to enroll foreign students. Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security, and a federal judge immediately granted a temporary restraining order.

During a hearing last week, US District Judge Allison Burroughs indicated her intention to issue a preliminary injunction. Such an order would bar the Trump administration from taking further punitive measures against Harvard as the lawsuit concerning the foreign student matter proceeds.

Although the Trump administration opposes any such injunction, it requested that the Department of Justice and Harvard lawyers agree on the wording for a potential court order. The two sides have not yet responded to the judge.

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Pentagon to shift Greenland oversight to Northern Command

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The Pentagon is preparing to make a symbolic move that will more closely align the Arctic island with the US by transferring control of Greenland to the US Northern Command (Northcom).

This shift in command, which could take place as early as this week, may also serve to expand US radar capabilities and strengthen its missile defense network.

A Department of Defense official, along with two sources acquainted with the plans, has indicated that Greenland is set to move from the European Command’s (Eucom) area of responsibility to that of the Northern Command (Northcom), the body charged with ensuring North American security.

This development represents the most tangible outcome of the Trump administration’s months-long efforts to secure Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

The integration of Greenland into Northcom is anticipated to provoke significant discussion in Denmark and throughout NATO. Concerns have been fueled by the Trump administration’s sustained efforts to assert control over the island, including its unwillingness to rule out military options for acquisition.

Denmark and the semi-autonomous Faroe Islands will remain under Eucom’s authority, creating a symbolic and operational demarcation between these territories and Greenland.

A source close to the developments remarked, “Geographically, the move is logical. Politically, though, it’s clear this decision will raise concerns in Europe.”

This shift in command authority is a component of the Pentagon leadership’s ongoing review of the Unified Command Plan. This plan delineates the areas of responsibility for the department’s six geographic combatant commands.

While Greenland’s reassignment would not necessitate a major leadership overhaul, other proposals—such as merging Northcom with Southern Command or integrating Africa Command into the Germany-based Eucom—would significantly impact the number of three- and four-star officers in the military and the allocation of assets to various global regions.

For months, the Trump administration has emphasized Greenland’s strategic importance to US security. It argues that the island’s North Atlantic location is critical for enhancing missile defense programs and for monitoring Russian and Chinese maritime activities in the Arctic.

Such a change would pave the way for deploying more missile defense radar systems in Greenland and broadening this sensor network, thus integrating the island more tightly with Canadian and US regional defense frameworks.

Northcom is responsible for the protection of US territory. Its duties include overseeing southern border security, air and missile defense, and collaborating with Canada and Mexico on shared security concerns.

Bringing Greenland under Northcom’s umbrella will effectively elevate the island’s profile in policy debates at the Pentagon and the White House, distinctly positioning it relative to Denmark.

A source indicated that the Danish government has not yet been formally notified of the impending transfer.

The US has maintained a military presence on the island for an extended period. In March, individuals named as Vice President JD Vance and then-national security advisor Mike Waltz are said to have visited Pituffik Space Base. This facility, possessing the Pentagon’s northernmost deep-water port, has long functioned as a strategic site for monitoring Russia and China.

While in Greenland, Vance is reported to have encouraged the island’s leaders to “make a deal” with Washington, allegedly stating, “I believe it would be far more advantageous for you to be under the US security umbrella than under Denmark’s.”

In January, the Danish government committed to an additional $2 billion for Greenland’s security initiatives, a move partly aimed at appeasing the Trump administration’s security concerns.

The Trump administration’s remarks on the Arctic’s significance have also captured the attention of NATO leaders. Mark Rutte, the alliance’s secretary general, noted last week, “As NATO, we are increasing our engagement in Arctic security matters.”

Rutte also described the Trump administration’s focus on Russian and Chinese activities in the region as a positive development.

In a recent NBC interview last month, Trump affirmed he had not discounted the possibility of acquiring Greenland by military means, commenting, “I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but I’m not ruling anything out. We need Greenland very much.”

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AI’s potential ‘white-collar massacre’ sparks debate on job future, says Amodei

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Anthropic’s billionaire CEO, Dario Amodei, stated in an interview with Axios that artificial intelligence could eliminate 50% of all white-collar, entry-level jobs within the next one to five years, potentially raising unemployment rates to 10% to 20%.

Anthropic recently launched its new AI model, Claude Opus 4, which was reported to have “threatened” an engineer during testing.

Amodei also claimed that AI companies, like his own, will increase income inequality as they make large sums of money, calling on the US government to start taxing the sector. The Anthropic executive even proposed a “symbolic tax” requiring AI companies to pay 3% of the revenue generated from each use of their models to the government, suggesting this tax could be reinvested into programs like “worker retraining.”

On the other hand, critics argue that the “white-collar massacre” rhetoric is part of the “AI hype machine.” For example, Mark Cuban suggested Amodei should calm down, recalling that past technological advancements and automation displaced workers like secretaries for a time but ultimately created new industries and jobs.

Nevertheless, fears that AI will take white-collar jobs may be justified. According to a recent report from the New York Fed, the unemployment rate for new graduates rose to 5.8% last quarter, reaching its highest level since 2021. Data shows that unemployment has particularly increased in technical fields where rapid advancements in AI are being made. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced it would lay off 3% of its staff, including many engineers. Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike laid off 5% of its workforce (500 people), citing AI’s reshaping of the sector.

However, AI is not yet fully ready. A few weeks ago, Klarna reversed its decision after switching to AI customer service representatives and started hiring humans again.

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