×

OpenAI taps former US army secretary Dan Driscoll for national security role

By Thomson Reuters Nov 2, 2026 | 6:04 PM

Nov 2 (Reuters) – OpenAI has appointed Dan Driscoll, a former US Secretary of the Army, to a newly ​created role focusing on national ‌security modernization, the AI startup said on Monday.

Driscoll will serve as senior counselor for national security modernization, advising OpenAI’s leadership and collaborating with ‌external ​partners on how advanced ⁠AI can enhance national ⁠security and cybersecurity.

• Driscoll had resigned earlier this year following months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

• Driscoll ​gained prominence outside the Pentagon when he was tapped by US President ⁠Trump to take part ⁠in talks with Moscow and ​Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine — ​a rare diplomatic task for an ‌Army secretary

• “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 a statement

• OpenAI said Driscoll will engage ⁠with various ‌stakeholders, including government officials, industry ⁠leaders and academic institutions, to ​advance ‌practical initiatives for developing what ​OpenAI terms “democratic ⁠AI”

• He will also help internal OpenAI teams understand the operational needs of global national security organizations, the company said

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru. Editing by ​Alan Barona)