OpenAI hires former US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll for national security

Dan Driscoll, then Secretary of the Army, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in January 2026.

OpenAI has hired Dan Driscoll, the 26th Secretary of the US Army, the company said on Monday. He takes a new role: senior counselor for national security modernization.

Driscoll will advise on how advanced AI can strengthen national and cyber security. He will work with OpenAI’s leaders and outside partners. His main focus is helping US allies use the technology responsibly.

“National security requirements are changing faster than at any time in the past fifty years,” Driscoll said in a statement.

He said AI would help people in national security cut through paperwork. It would also help them make sense of more information and get answers faster.

Driscoll left the Pentagon in September after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Gareth Vipers reported this for The Wall Street Journal. Driscoll is a former Army officer and a law-school classmate of Vice President JD Vance, the Journal reported.

As Army secretary, he oversaw nearly one million soldiers and more than 265,000 Army civilians, OpenAI said. Driscoll said he had also served as acting director of the ATF.

“The US has an extraordinary opportunity to work with other countries to spread the adoption of democratic AI,” said Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive.

Driscoll will also help OpenAI’s teams understand what national security institutions need. OpenAI said the hire builds on Daybreak, its cyber resilience programme with allies and partners.

OpenAI has opened Daybreak to Ukraine and pitched it to utilities in the US.

In February, OpenAI agreed to deploy its models on the Defense Department’s classified network. That came after rival Anthropic’s relationship with the Pentagon broke down, Rachel Metz reported for Bloomberg. Anthropic is still fighting its Pentagon case in court.

With expertise in digital marketing, product management, and branding & identity, Ana Maria Constantin develops strategies that resonate (show all) With expertise in digital marketing, product management, and branding & identity, Ana Maria Constantin develops strategies that resonate with our target audience in the software/SaaS industry. Collaboration and teamwork are paramount to her, as she loves empowering her colleagues to achieve outstanding results and unlock their full potential.

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