OpenAI has appointed former United States Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll as senior adviser on national security modernization, the artificial intelligence company announced.
The post is a newly created position at the San Francisco technology company. Driscoll will advise executive leadership and coordinate with government agencies, industry representatives, universities, and international partners on applying artificial intelligence technologies to national defense and cybersecurity.
OpenAI said that it expects Driscoll to help develop its concept of democratic AI, which the company defines as its framework for the responsible distribution and use of artificial intelligence. The new adviser is also tasked with helping internal technical teams at OpenAI better understand the practical needs and daily operational duties of national security agencies around the world.
Driscoll said that he wanted to help the United States and its international partners use emerging technologies responsibly in order to protect people.
Pentagon tenure and diplomatic assignments
Driscoll previously served as the 26th Secretary of the US Army, the civilian official responsible for the branch within the Department of Defense. In that post, he had statutory authority over the army's general operations, modernization programs, and resource allocation.
Outside his work at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the American defense establishment in Virginia, Driscoll gained prominence through his participation in diplomatic contacts. Such diplomatic assignments were considered unusual for an active civilian head of the American military branch.
Driscoll stepped down from his position in 2026 following several months of strained relations with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. According to reports in the American news media, the disagreements between the two officials centered on army leadership and personnel choices inside the Pentagon.
National security expansion and cyber defense
The appointment comes as OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research and commercial deployment company that developed ChatGPT, steadily broadens its work in national security.
The company already operates an initiative called Project Daybreak, which aims to improve resilience against malicious cyberattacks and protect critical computer services. OpenAI has also established official partnerships with European nations in the area of cyber defense.
The new advisory role is intended to bridge OpenAI's technological capabilities with the practical tasks faced by military and government organizations. However, the company has not yet announced any specific contracts or upcoming projects involving Driscoll.
