OpenAI announced on November 2, 2026, that former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll would join as Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization, an advisory role focused on responsible AI for national and cyber security. The company says he will work with government, industry, academia and allied institutions, while helping OpenAI teams understand security organizations’ operational needs (OpenAI’s announcement).
What the role covers
OpenAI describes the newly created position as advising public- and private-sector partners on policy and strategy for practical, responsible AI use in national security. The remit also includes working with leaders across government, industry, academia and allied institutions, and helping OpenAI teams understand the operational needs of national-security organizations.
OpenAI placed the appointment in the context of its work with allies and partners on cyber resilience and essential services under its Daybreak program. The company’s announcement describes the program as context for the hire.
The Army leadership experience OpenAI cites
OpenAI identifies Driscoll as the 26th Secretary of the U.S. Army. The company says he oversaw operations, modernization and resources for nearly one million Active, Guard and Reserve Soldiers, as well as more than 265,000 Army civilians. That background provides the scale of his previous leadership; OpenAI describes his new post as advisory.
Driscoll’s earlier remarks on military technology
In a November 2025 CNBC interview, while serving as Army secretary, Driscoll discussed military modernization, the changing role of drones and the Army’s need for computing capacity. He described potential partnerships with technology and private-equity companies to build data centers on Army bases, and projected that the Army might host some of the country’s largest data centers 18 to 24 months later.
