Former Google Boss Eric Schmidt: Military AI Is as Powerful as Nukes

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, recently stated in an interview that the use of AI in warfare could become more prevalent in the future. The noted lackey of Hillary Clinton noted, “Einstein wrote a letter to Roosevelt in the 1930s saying that there is this new technology — nuclear weapons — that could change war, which it clearly did. I would argue that [AI-powered] autonomy and decentralized, distributed systems are that powerful.”

In a recent interview with Wired, Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google and a noted lackey of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, warned that the use of artificial intelligence in conflict could be just as revolutionary as the development of nuclear weapons. Schmidt emphasized that the U.S. government must collaborate closely with major tech firms to improve its AI capabilities or risk falling behind China, which has made significant progress in the area.

An Air Force K-9 stands guard alongside a Ghost Robotics robotic dog. (U.S. Air Force File Photo/AIC Shannon Moorehead)

FILE – U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting, Nov. 14, 2022, in Nusa Dua, in Bali, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Schmidt said, “Every once in a while, a new weapon, a new technology comes along that changes things. Einstein wrote a letter to Roosevelt in the 1930s saying that there is this new technology—nuclear weapons—that could change war, which it clearly did. I would argue that [AI-powered] autonomy and decentralized, distributed systems are that powerful.”According to the former CEO of Google, the Department of Defense’s cumbersome bureaucracy is a significant problem that might prevent the U.S. military from using AI effectively. Schmidt suggested that the U.S. military should use Ukraine’s quick adoption of drones, 3D printing, and battlefield systems during the Russian invasion last year as a model for implementing new technology.

Schmidt thinks that the US government may be at a disadvantage in the race for AI supremacy because of its reliance on established practices and drawn-out bureaucratic processes. Schmidt stated, “We’re facing a very significant challenge from a very, very focused competitor that knows what they’re doing,” alluding to China’s progress in AI.

Russia has displayed its AI-equipped, autonomous “killer robot” tanks in recent months. Using a variety of sophisticated sensors and robotics, the unmanned Marker robot can travel great distances and attack targets automatically for up to three days. Artificial intelligence is not new in warfare, and Russia has been working on autonomous weapons since 2015.