OpenAI Hires Former US Secretary of the Army Driscoll

Dan Driscoll is set to advise OpenAI as Senior Counselor on the deployment of AI for national security and cyber defense. The position is newly created.

OpenAI has hired former US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. He will become Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization, a newly created position. OpenAI announced the move. Driscoll is to advise company leadership on how AI can be utilized for national security and cybersecurity. A key focus is on supporting US allies in the responsible deployment of advanced AI.

“National security requirements are changing faster than at any other point in the past fifty years.”
Dan Driscoll, Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization at OpenAI

AI could help reduce administrative overhead, process information, and provide faster answers to personnel in the security sector.

Cooperation with Governments and Allies

At OpenAI, Driscoll is to work with government officials, companies, universities, and organizations of allied nations to advance what OpenAI refers to as “democratic AI.” In addition, he is to convey the operational requirements of security agencies to internal teams. This ties into OpenAI’s Daybreak program, through which the company aims to strengthen cyber resilience and protect critical services. Through Daybreak, OpenAI collaborates among others with Fortinet, which used frontier AI to identify vulnerabilities in its products. CEO Sam Altman explained that the appointment is intended to help advance the international spread of democratic AI and consolidate the US leadership role.

Departure from the Pentagon in August

Driscoll was the 26th US Secretary of the Army. He is an Iraq veteran and pushed forward the modernization of the military during his tenure, including allies’ access to drones and counter-drone technology. In August, he resigned from his post. According to reports, this was preceded by tensions with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
OpenAI has been expanding its cooperation with defense and security agencies for some time. Other AI companies are also intensifying their engagement in this area. In October, Anthropic introduced Cyber Mission, an initiative to protect critical infrastructure.

(Editorial Team)