Ex-Google Chief Eric Schmidt’s Startup Develops AI Drones for Ukraine

Rajesh Regmi — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 08:56:09 +0000

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is at the center of a new tech venture, White Stork, a startup developing kamikaze drones powered by artificial intelligence.

The project, operating under shell companies, aims to provide Ukraine with advanced drone technology for its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Schmidt, the industry veteran, previously led the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence after leaving Google. The commission issued a report in 2021 that stated “AI will transform the way war is conducted in every domain.” It seems Schmidt is capitalizing on that vision with the White Stork.

White Stork is said to be a low-cost drone, estimated at $400 value each, and carries a small number of explosives, according to a Wall Street Journal column Schmidt wrote in July.

In that column, Schmidt also highlighted their affordability and potential military significance, calling them “the most important” weapon against Russia. This coincides with the US scaling back deals with traditional arms manufacturers like Palantir.

Further fueling speculation about self-serving interests is Schmidt’s recent article claiming Ukraine’s “losing drone war” and predicting their reliance on millions of imported drones in 2024.

Additionally, White Stork’s operation through shell companies, one listing Schmidt as a beneficiary and another (Volya Robotics OÜ) under the sole control of a family office employee, adds to the project’s opaqueness.

Sebastian Thrun, a co-founder of Google’s X research lab, is among the recruited tech veterans involved in White Stork. The project’s impact on the Ukrainian conflict and the future of AI-powered weaponry remains to be seen for now.

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Ex-Google Chief Eric Schmidt’s Startup Develops AI Drones for Ukraine