The appointment
OpenAI is strengthening its military business and has hired Dan Driscoll, former civilian head of the US Army, as "Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization". The Decoder reports this based on OpenAI and the Wall Street Journal. According to OpenAI, Driscoll is to work with governments, industry, academia and US allies to ensure AI strengthens national security and cyber defense.
Driscoll's background
As the 26th Secretary of the Army, Driscoll led a civilian workforce of nearly one million soldiers and more than 265,000 civilian employees. During his tenure he drove the Army's AI modernization, including Project ARIA, an initiative for AI tools in budgeting, logistics and tactical model deployment. He submitted his resignation in late August 2026. Reports cite months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who repeatedly removed senior officers or blocked their promotions against Driscoll's wishes.
The context: OpenAI and the Pentagon
In late February 2026 the Pentagon classified rival Anthropic as a "supply chain risk" after CEO Dario Amodei refused to drop restrictions on mass surveillance and autonomous weapons from its contracts. The same day, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced his own Pentagon agreement to deploy its models on classified networks. Altman stressed the deal contained safeguards similar to those Anthropic had sought.
Political connections
According to AP, Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, maintains good relationships with both parties in Congress. Reports suggest this network could gain importance if the majorities change after the current midterm elections.
Assessment
The move suggests OpenAI wants to position itself more strongly in the competition for US defense and government contracts. The Wall Street Journal reads the appointment as a sign that OpenAI wants closer military ties and a say in the rules for AI use by armed forces and intelligence agencies. Whether this will translate into new contracts is not confirmed by the available sources.
Sources
Editorially owned by Ideal Syka. Sources and method: Newsroom & method. Tips and corrections: ai@i6eal.de.
