Palantir is advertising a full-time fellowship for neurodivergent workers as CEO Alex Karp links neurodivergence with a future in a workplace being reshaped by artificial intelligence.
The role is full-time and on-site in New York or Washington, D.C., and the listing gives estimated annual compensation of $110,000 to $200,000. Palantir says fellows will be evaluated under the standards it applies to its engineers. It describes pattern recognition, non-linear thinking and hyperfocus as potential strengths for work shaped by AI. The listing says final compensation can vary with a candidate's qualifications, experience and skills, among other factors.
In a TBPN interview published March 12, Karp said vocational training or neurodivergence could help workers have a future as AI changes work. “There are basically two ways to know you have a future. One, you have some vocational training. Or two, you’re neurodivergent,” he said.
The company's hiring language presents those traits as a view of potential, not a measured result: its listing does not report comparative performance data for neurodivergent employees.
Fortune reported in an Oct. 25 interview that psychologist Daniel Wendler said large language models could help workers divide complex assignments into steps, organize tasks and communicate. Wendler said AI may also give employers a reason to accommodate different working styles. He said workplaces often reflect neurotypical working styles, leaving some neurodivergent workers' needs and strengths overlooked.
Fortune reported that Wendler also cautioned against assuming neurodivergent people have exceptional abilities. He said that stereotype can obscure contributions from people without rare talents and challenges some workers face.
Some employers have created hiring programs focused on neurodiversity. SAP says its Autism at Work program began in 2013, operates in 16 countries and includes more than 260 colleagues. Microsoft describes an alternate hiring pathway with interview preparation, skills-building activities, extra interview time and longer breaks.
