OpenAI says former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will join as senior counselor for national security modernization

OpenAI said on Monday, Nov. 2, that Dan Driscoll, a former U.S. Secretary of the Army, will join the company as senior counselor for national security modernization, according to OpenAI’s announcement. Reuters and Bloomberg Law reported the appointment.

OpenAI described the role as newly created. Driscoll will work with senior leadership and external partners on how advanced AI can strengthen national and cyber security, with a particular focus on working with U.S. allies, the company said. He will work with leaders across governments, industry, academia and allied institutions on “practical modernization initiatives” to advance what OpenAI calls democratic AI, and will help internal teams understand the operational needs of national security institutions worldwide.

OpenAI said Driscoll was the 26th Secretary of the Army and oversaw operations, modernization and resources for nearly one million active, Guard and Reserve soldiers and more than 265,000 Army civilians. In OpenAI’s announcement, he also cited his time as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“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,” Driscoll said in the statement. He added that national security requirements are changing faster than at any time in the past fifty years. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in the same announcement that he was “excited to welcome Dan Driscoll to OpenAI to strengthen American leadership and help us do that.”

Bloomberg Law reported that Driscoll resigned as Army secretary in August after repeated conflicts with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Reuters reported that he resigned earlier this year after months of tension with Hegseth, and that President Donald Trump had tapped him to take part in talks with Moscow and Kyiv on ending the war in Ukraine. The Reuters report did not include comment from Hegseth.

OpenAI said the appointment builds on its work with allies and partners on cyber resilience under its Daybreak program. In September, the BBC reported that OpenAI would give Ukraine’s government free access to Daybreak to help protect civilian infrastructure. OpenAI’s government work also includes a OneGov agreement with the General Services Administration that Bloomberg reported on Sept. 10 and that was slated to start Oct. 1, with a 50% token discount.

OpenAI did not give a start date for Driscoll or financial terms in its announcement.

OpenAI says former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will join as senior counselor for national security modernization

Sources