AI giants enter the US national security! OpenAI hires former Army Secretary to plan military applications

OpenAI hired former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as the newly established "Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization" to assist the company and external partners in evaluating the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the fields of national security and cybersecurity, and to promote cooperation with U.S. allies. The appointment brings a former senior official who was responsible for the modernization of the U.S. Army into the AI ​​industry.

OpenAI issued an announcement on the 2nd announcing this personnel arrangement. The company stated that Driscoll will work with government, industry, academic institutions and allied organizations to help promote the application of AI in the field of national security, and also allow the company team to better understand the actual needs of national security agencies in various countries.

Driscoll served as the 26th Secretary of the Army of the United States, responsible for Army operations, modernization and resource allocation. According to information released by OpenAI, his management scope during his tenure covered nearly 1 million active duty, National Guard and Reserve soldiers, as well as more than 265,000 Army civilian personnel.

The US military news website "Breaking Defense" reported that Driscoll is an Iraq War veteran with a background in venture capital. During his tenure as Secretary of the Army, he promoted a number of military modernization plans, including the Army Transformation Initiative and the Low-Cost Interceptor Project. He was also involved in armistice negotiations between the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

Reuters reported that Driscoll resigned as Army secretary at the end of August this year, after months of tense relations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. After leaving government, Driscoll served as a consultant at counter-drone company Perennial Autonomy and public affairs consultancy Watchtower Strategy before joining OpenAI.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that he welcomes Driscoll to join and hopes to use his experience to strengthen the United States' leadership in the field of AI and cooperate with other countries to promote AI applications that are consistent with democratic values.

Driscoll said in the OpenAI announcement that the pace of change in national security needs is unprecedented in the past 50 years. AI can help relevant agencies reduce paperwork, analyze more information, and deliver the required information to the appropriate personnel faster. He said that by joining OpenAI, he hopes to help the United States and its allies use this technology responsibly and support personnel who maintain security.