Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the war in Ukraine turned him into an arms dealer

“It drove me crazy to see the Russians using tanks to destroy blocks of old women and children,” Schmidt said during the lecture.

The startup, called White Stork, is working to mass-produce drones that could use AI to identify targets. Schmidt previously chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence for several years. He was the CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011.

Schmidt said White Stork has two goals: building complicated AI robots and keeping costs down. By lowering the cost of robots, Schmidt says the need for ground combat with tanks and other artillery could be “eliminated.”

He said that with the “support of governments” the drones would go “directly into Ukraine” and “fight the war”.

“Because of the way the system works, I’m now a licensed gun dealer,” Schmidt said. “A computer scientist, businessman, arms dealer.”

“I don’t recommend this in your career, I’d stick with AI,” he added.