Additional Coverage:
- Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the US military is falling behind in AI warfare and needs a ‘systemic overhaul’ (newsbreak.com)
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stated that AI technology is fundamentally changing the nature of warfare. He argues that the U.S. military must undergo significant changes to further develop AI capabilities and maintain its world leadership.
In an article published in Foreign Affairs magazine, co-authored with Mark A. Milley, the former U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Schmidt details how AI is already reshaping conflicts globally.
According to the article, Ukrainian forces are using AI to effectively target tanks and aircraft. In regions like Myanmar and Sudan, both insurgents and governments employ AI-driven tactics, while in Gaza, Israeli drones equipped with AI are being utilized.
Schmidt and Milley believe that future conflicts will not hinge on traditional military strength such as manpower or conventional weaponry but will see the rise of autonomous weapon systems and advanced algorithms.
Despite being a global military leader, the United States has not kept pace with AI innovations, the authors argue. They suggest that the Pentagon has been slow to adopt AI technology, thus necessitating a widespread military reform.
Leading by example, Schmidt has founded a new company, White Stork, which aims to produce drones that can autonomously identify targets, potentially reducing the human cost in future conflicts.
Schmidt, who served as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011 and chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, recently expressed at Stanford University that the ongoing war in Ukraine motivated him to venture into the defense sector, where he now identifies as a “licensed arms dealer.”