OpenAI has hired former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as senior counselor for national security modernization, a newly created position at the company1,2,3.
Driscoll will advise OpenAI's leadership on how artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen U.S. national security and cybersecurity. He will work with OpenAI's senior leadership and external partners, with a particular focus on helping U.S. allies adopt advanced AI responsibly.
Driscoll resigned as Army secretary earlier in 2026 following reported tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Reuters as cited by CNBC. The Financial Times framed the hire against a backdrop of the military seeking to expand AI use.
The appointment follows a period of intensifying outreach by OpenAI beyond commercial AI. The company signed four agreements with Abu Dhabi-based entities spanning government, energy, investment, and education[2]. Driscoll's role adds a dedicated national security channel to that expanding portfolio of government-facing work.
ANALYSIS Creating a senior counselor title specifically for national security modernization — and filling it with a recently departed service secretary — formalizes a policy-engagement function that sits above any single contract or product line.