Palantir (PLTR, Financials) rose Wednesday after CEO Alex Karp criticized the way major AI labs charge for their models, saying enterprise customers are growing frustrated with rising token costs.
Speaking on CNBC, Karp said the pricing structure used by companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic has created concern among business leaders. His comments came as more companies question whether expensive AI tools are producing enough return on investment.
Karp said customers increasingly want control over their own computing power, models and data. He pointed to open-weight models as one possible answer, especially for businesses and government agencies that do not want to depend fully on closed systems.
Palantir recently expanded its partnership with Nvidia to help build custom AI models for U.S. government agencies. Karp said that approach better fits what technical customers want: ownership of their data stack and the tools used to create value.
The comments helped lift Palantir shares about 9%. Investors will be watching whether the company can turn demand for more controlled AI systems into stronger government and enterprise growth.