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Federal Agencies Secretly Using Palantir to Enforce DEI Restrictions

AI Palantir HHS DEI Executive Orders Grant Audits Federal Government
Recent News
Source: Wired AI
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Shadow Governance
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Article Summary

A recently discovered inventory reveals that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been employing Palantir’s AI tools since March to screen and audit grants, grant applications, and job descriptions, all in an effort to enforce President Trump’s executive orders. Neither Palantir nor HHS publicly acknowledged this usage. During Trump’s first year in office, Palantir earned over $35 million from HHS alone, conducting audits within HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) – which oversees family and child welfare. The AI tools, alongside Credal AI (founded by Palantir alumni), flagged applications and job descriptions for potential noncompliance. This wasn't a standalone action; the National Science Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also implemented similar restrictions, leading to frozen or terminated grant funds and systematic exclusions of transgender individuals from federal programs. The use of Palantir extends beyond HHS, impacting agencies like NASA, ICE, and the IRS, demonstrating a broader, potentially concerning, trend of federal agencies leveraging AI to aggressively curtail DEI efforts, raising significant ethical and societal implications.

Key Points

  • Federal agencies, including HHS, were secretly utilizing Palantir’s AI tools to audit grants and job descriptions based on Trump’s executive orders.
  • This covert operation aimed to enforce restrictions on DEI, ‘gender ideology,’ and related terms within federal programs.
  • The implementation led to significant funding freezes and exclusions of marginalized groups from federal initiatives, showcasing a systematic effort to diminish diversity and inclusion efforts.

Why It Matters

This news highlights a critical and concerning development: the potential for AI to be deployed not just for efficiency but to actively enforce politically charged ideological restrictions within government. The use of Palantir, a company known for its work with law enforcement and intelligence, raises questions about the balance between security, efficiency, and fundamental rights. It underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI technologies within government, particularly when they are used to target specific groups and ideologies. This situation has significant implications for civil liberties, diversity, and inclusion efforts nationwide.

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