Ex-Google CEO used ‘vast network’ of political connections to influence AI industry, government policy for financial gain: Report

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has built an "oligarch-style empire" by making strategic investments and forming political relationships designed to allow him to influence the direction of the artificial intelligence industry and government policy, according to a new bombshell report.

The Bull Moose Project, a nonprofit advocacy group, recently published a shocking report detailing Schmidt's "incestuous web of power and influence."

What are the details?

According to the report, the former Google CEO became "effective at changing government policy to benefit his investments through the powerful connections he has carefully cultivated through his membership on several influential government commissions and boards."

Ziven Havens, director of policy at the Bull Moose Project, told TheBlaze, "Through his tenure at Google, Eric Schmidt was able to amass levels of influence that most people could only imagine. His connections permeated through the White House [Office of Science and Technology Policy] and the DOD. He paid the salaries of OSTP employees, got favorable government reports published in line with his financial ties, and even got a WH initiative started based on a report published by Schmidt Futures. All of this adds up to paint a very concerning picture about Eric Schmidt and the influence he has within the U.S. government."

The Bull Moose Project stated that Schmidt's connections expose the "revolving door" of Washington, D.C., officials moving between government positions and special interest groups to control public policy.

Regarding the impact of Schmidt's influence on the future direction of AI and government regulations, Havens added, "Eric Schmidt is lobbying for an aggressive AI policy under the guise of competing with China, which would facilitate massive government spending and coincidentally benefit his own financial investments. This could have disastrous effects on the creation and implementation of AI regulations. The United States must pursue AI policy that is measured and unburdened from the personal interests of billionaires like Eric Schmidt."

Schmidt's time at Google

Schmidt worked at Google for two decades, including as the tech company's CEO from 2001 to 2011 and then its chairman until 2015. He later went to work for Google's parent company, Alphabet, until 2020.

During his time at Google, Schmidt oversaw the growth of the company, particularly its lobbying operations. According to OpenSecrets.org, in 2003, Google invested $80,000 in Washington, D.C.

"By the time [Schmidt] left the board of directors, Google had at least 26 outside lobby firms on the payroll and [was] spending close to $19 million per year," the Bull Moose Project's report stated.

In 2010 during the Washington Ideas Forum, Schmidt admitted that investing in White House lobbying paid off for Google.

"The average American doesn't realize how much of the laws are written by lobbyists," Schmidt said at the time. "It's shocking how the system actually works."

Schmidt also served as the chairman of the Department of Defense's Innovation Board from 2016 through 2020. He then became the chairman of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Both positions allowed Schmidt to significantly influence DOD technology policies, especially concerning AI.

In 2021, Schmidt acknowledged his influence strategy during an NSCAI event. He stated that he and his team "had this interesting idea that not only should we write down what we thought … we would have a hundred pages of legislation that they could just pass."

Schmidt added that the idea "had never occurred to me before but is actually working."

According to the executive, his requests were passed into law because of his lobbying operations, the report added.

"If I've learned anything from my years of dealing with the government, it's that the government is not run like a tech company," Schmidt said. "It's run top down. So, whether you like it or not, you have to start at the top, you have to get the right words, either they say it, or you write it for them, and you make it happen. Right? And that's how it really, really works."

'Political tentacles'

The former Google executive's influence on public policy aided the passage of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which provided funding to the new chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, Craig Martell.

Martell was selected by Schmidt to head the Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, the report noted.

Schmidt also admitted to influencing classified programs.

"We don't talk much about our secret work," he said. "But there's an analogous team that worked on the secret stuff that went through the secret process that has had similar impact."

The executive and his venture capital firm, Schmidt Futures, gained additional influence in the AI industry by investing in various funds and companies, the report found.

The Bull Moose Project included an interactive map detailing Schmidt's "political tentacles." Additionally, it noted that at least 50 former high-ranking government officials are employed by Schmidt.

"BMP's interactive map includes 523 dots and 713 connecting lines representing Schmidt's connections to decisionmakers, businesses, charities, academia, government boards and more, all of which benefit — both directly and indirectly — his investments related to communications networks, semi-conductors, biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI), to name a few," the report stated.

A spokesperson for Schmidt declined to provide a comment, Fox News Digital reported.

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