OpenAI hires ex-Army Secretary Dan Driscoll for security

OpenAI just hired its first national security chief. On Monday, the company said former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is joining as Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization. Driscoll ran the Army under President Trump before stepping down this past summer. His new job: helping OpenAI work with the Pentagon, intelligence agencies, and allied governments on AI.

This isn't OpenAI's first step toward government work. Driscoll gives that push a familiar face inside the Pentagon. He left his Army post only two months ago. Critics worry about AI companies getting too close to military decision-making. OpenAI hasn't said what guardrails apply to Driscoll's new role, or how much authority he'll actually have.

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Will Driscoll's hire change how the military actually uses AI, or is this mostly a symbolic hire? OpenAI has been pursuing more government work this year. Having a former Army Secretary in-house could help it win more of that business. It could also raise new questions about how closely AI labs and the Pentagon should work together.