WEST POINT, NEW YORK – MAY 23: Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll arrives for the United States Military Academy commencement ceremony in Michie Stadium at the U.S. Military Academy on May 23, 2026 in West Point, New York. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was announced as the 2026 commencement speaker just two days before the event. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)
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OpenAI has hired former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as senior counselor for national security modernization, a newly created role at the company.
Driscoll will focus on how artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen U.S. national security and cybersecurity, OpenAI said, while his updated LinkedIn profile also lists his new position.
He will work with OpenAI’s senior leadership and external partners, with a particular focus on helping U.S. allies adopt advanced AI responsibly.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the U.S. has “an extraordinary opportunity to work with other countries to spread the adoption of democratic AI,” and that Driscoll’s appointment would help strengthen American leadership in the technology.
“National security requirements are changing faster than at any time in the past fifty years,” Driscoll said. He added that AI could help reduce paperwork, process information and deliver answers more quickly to those working in national security.
I’m joining OpenAI to help the U.S. and our allies put this technology to work responsibly, for the people who keep us safe.
Dan Driscoll
Senior Counselor, OpenAI
The appointment comes after Driscoll stepped down as Army secretary earlier this year after months of reported tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
An Iraq war veteran, Driscoll pushed efforts to modernize the U.S. military, including expanding access to drone and counter-drone technologies among U.S. allies, according to a previous U.S. Army announcement.
Driscoll also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv in November 2025 to discuss a U.S.-proposed peace plan aimed at ending the war with Russia, according to a statement from the Presidential Office of Ukraine.
At OpenAI, Driscoll will work with government officials, industry leaders, academic institutions and allied organizations to advance what the company calls “democratic AI.” He will also help internal teams understand the operational needs of national security institutions, building on OpenAI’s efforts to strengthen cyber resilience and protect essential services through its Daybreak program.
