Ex-Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Joins OpenAI to Advise on National Security AI

Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has taken a new role at artificial intelligence firm OpenAI as a senior counselor for national security modernization. The company announced the appointment Monday, marking another significant move by OpenAI into the defense and military sectors.

Driscoll's departure from his position as secretary of the Army in August was widely reported to be due to disagreements with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over policy directions and strategic initiatives. Since then, Driscoll has shifted his focus to leveraging advanced AI technologies for national security purposes at OpenAI.

OpenAI’s involvement in defense-related projects has been growing under the second Trump administration. In June 2025, the Pentagon awarded a $200 million prototype Other Transaction agreement to OpenAI Public Sector to develop frontier AI capabilities aimed at addressing critical national security challenges in both warfighting and enterprise domains. More recently, in August this year, officials confirmed that users of GenAI.mil, the Pentagon’s enterprise generative artificial intelligence platform, gained access to approved versions of ChatGPT models.

During his tenure as Army secretary, Driscoll spearheaded several modernization efforts, including the launch of initiatives such as the Army Transformation Initiative and the creation of drone and counter-drone marketplaces. He also initiated Operation Jailbreak, a massive push to hack its own systems in order to enhance interoperability among different military technologies.

In his new role at OpenAI, Driscoll will advise on how advanced AI can be used responsibly to strengthen national security and cyber defense. His responsibilities include working with senior leadership and external partners to ensure that the technology is deployed ethically and effectively. Additionally, he will collaborate closely with government agencies, industry leaders, academic institutions, and allied organizations to advance practical modernization initiatives.

Driscoll emphasized in a statement that the requirements for national security are evolving at an unprecedented pace. He believes new technologies can help military and other critical sectors "cut through paperwork, make sense of more information, and get the right answer to the right person faster." His appointment underscores OpenAI's growing influence in shaping defense strategies and its commitment to responsible AI development.

The move highlights the increasing reliance on private sector innovation in addressing complex national security challenges. As the military continues to modernize and integrate cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, partnerships with tech companies such as OpenAI are likely to become more commonplace.