Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Plans To Build Next-Gen 'Kamikaze Drones' Through His New Venture White Stork

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been working on White Stork, a startup he expects will revolutionize military technology with artificial intelligence-powered attack drones, according to a recent Forbes article. 

White Stork aims to mass-produce drones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) for target identification.

White Stork, initially operating under the name Swift Beat Holdings, transformed last September when it changed its name to White Stork Group, according to Forbes. Schmidt, the sole beneficial owner of the holding company Volya Robotics OÜ since the same month, has orchestrated an intricate business structure through various limited liability companies (LLCs). This strategic move underscores the covert nature of the project and the careful consideration given to its development.

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Schmidt’s foray into the military technology sector might not come as a complete surprise, considering his background. After serving as Google’s CEO until 2011 and chairman until 2015, Schmidt became chairman of the Department of Defense’s Innovation Board in 2016, a position he held for four years. He also chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence for several years.

He also holds a vast personal fortune, and is worth approximately $20.6 billion, as of Feb. 1, according to The Real-Time Billionaires List compiled by Forbes. 

In an interview with Wired last February, Schmidt articulated his belief in the transformative potential of AI in military applications. Expressing dissatisfaction with the slow adoption of new technologies by the U.S. military, Schmidt compared the revolutionary impact of AI to historical instances like the development of nuclear weapons. 

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"Every once in a while, a new weapon, a new technology comes along that changes things," he said. "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."

If AI becomes autonomous and decentralized, those distributed systems could be as powerful as the advent of nuclear weapons, according to Schmidt and others. White Stork will reportedly produce "kamikaze drones," a type of attack vehicle used extensively by the Russians in the war with Ukraine. 

Schmidt envisions AI-powered combat drones as a catalyst for change within the Department of Defense. In his Wired interview, he highlighted the occasional emergence of new weapons that “change things” and posited that AI could play a pivotal role in reshaping military equipment. With White Stork, Schmidt is looking to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and defense, envisioning a future where AI transforms warfare.

As White Stork continues its covert development of AI-powered attack drones, the project underscores Schmidt’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and its applications in national security. The fusion of Schmidt’s expertise and the disruptive potential of AI positions White Stork as a significant player in military technology and drone-based warfare.

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