The conversation between Eric Schmidt and Graham Allison, which Harvard Kennedy School’s John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum recently hosted, centered on Schmidt’s recently released book “Genesis.”1 The book, which Schmidt co-authored with Henry Kissinger and Craig Mundie, explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on humanity, governance and global competition. In his remarks at Forum event on Nov. 18, 2024, Schmidt highlighted AI’s revolutionary potential in fields such as healthcare, education and climate change, while cautioning against significant risks, including centralization of power, misuse and cyber vulnerabilities.
During their discussion, Schmidt and Allison emphasized the intensifying geopolitical AI race between the U.S. and China, underscoring the importance of cooperative frameworks inspired by Cold War-era nuclear agreements for regulating AI. The recommendations on AI regulations Schmidt voiced at the Nov. 18 event drew heavily from the Cold War experiences of Kissinger, who passed away one year ago at the age of 100.
Both speakers pointed to the war in Ukraine as a key example of how AI and autonomous systems are reshaping modern warfare. Ukraine’s innovative use of drones has disrupted Russia’s Black Sea operations and enabled grain shipping, demonstrating how low-cost, unmanned systems can effectively challenge larger, traditional militaries. This highlights the urgent need for nations to re-engineer their defense architectures around autonomous technologies to reduce collateral damage, protect soldiers and enhance lethality.