HHS Is Using AI Tools From Palantir to Target ‘DEI’ and ‘Gender Ideology’ in Grants
TL;DR
Since March 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has used AI tools from Palantir and Credal AI to scan grant applications for references to DEI and gender ideology. The system automatically flags proposals that mention or support those topics, effectively turning grant review into an ideological filter.
Nauti's Take
Palantir has spent years building surveillance infrastructure for governments, and now it is being used to filter out unwanted research. What is sold as efficiency is an algorithmic loyalty test.
The irony is brutal: an AI is supposed to decide what counts as ideology, as if training such systems were not itself a political choice.
Context
This demonstrates how AI systems are increasingly deployed for political purposes – not to improve efficiency, but to enforce ideological conformity. Automating such filtering could systematically disadvantage scientific and social programs without transparent criteria. It also raises questions about the neutrality of AI vendors who accept such contracts.