OpenAI has hired Dan Driscoll, the former 26th Secretary of the U.S. Army, as its new Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization, deepening the company’s push into the defense and cybersecurity space. The announcement came in a company blog post on November 2, 2026.

The newly created role puts a former senior military official at the center of OpenAI’s efforts to expand how artificial intelligence is used for national security. Driscoll will advise OpenAI’s leadership and work with external partners, including government officials, industry leaders, academic institutions and U.S. allies, on practical ways to apply advanced AI to national and cyber security. Reuters reported the appointment on Monday.

Dan Driscoll during an official visit as U.S. Army Secretary
Dan Driscoll during an official visit to New Delhi as Army Secretary. Image: U.S. Army (public domain)

What Was Announced?

OpenAI said Driscoll will help the company’s internal teams understand the operational needs of national security organizations around the world, while also advising public and private-sector partners on policy and strategy changes intended to produce practical national-security uses of AI. A stated emphasis of the role is cooperation with U.S. allies on the responsible use of the technology.

Driscoll framed the move in national-service terms: I’m joining OpenAI to help the United States and our allies put this technology to work responsibly, for the people who keep us safe, he said in the announcement, according to Reuters.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the hire would strengthen American leadership in AI. The US has an extraordinary opportunity to work with other countries to spread the adoption of democratic AI, Altman said in the post, adding that he was excited to welcome Driscoll to help the company do that, per The Wall Street Journal.

Who Is Dan Driscoll?

Driscoll, a former Army officer, was nominated by President Trump and confirmed in 2025 as the 26th Secretary of the Army at age 38, making him the youngest person to hold the role, according to the Straits Times. He oversaw the service’s operations, modernization and resources, covering nearly one million active-duty, National Guard and Reserve soldiers and more than 265,000 Army civilian employees, per OpenAI’s account.

He resigned from the Pentagon earlier this year following months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Driscoll also previously served as acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and before that was a law-school classmate of Vice President JD Vance.

Why It Matters

The hire is the latest signal that OpenAI is moving aggressively to integrate with the defense sector, win government contracts and help shape policy around military and intelligence uses of AI, as the Journal noted. In February, the company agreed to deploy its own AI models within the Defense Department’s classified network, a deal that followed the implosion of rival Anthropic’s relationship with the Pentagon over surveillance and autonomous weapons concerns, according to Bloomberg.

It also builds on OpenAI’s Daybreak program, the company’s initiative to strengthen cyber resilience and protect essential services with allies and partners, which includes $1 billion in subsidized access over six months for frontline defenders.

Key facts about Dan Driscoll's new role at OpenAI
Key facts about OpenAI’s new national security appointment. Graphic: GPTOnline

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