OpenAI Hires Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper as Strategic Advisor for Military AI

OpenAI hired Mark Esper, the former US Secretary of Defense, as a strategic advisor for its military AI initiatives, the company announced on November 2, 2026. Crypto Briefing reported the appointment. Esper's prior role was US Secretary of Defense. The company has unclassified defense contracts valued at up to $200 million.

Esper's Advisory Role at OpenAI

OpenAI described Esper as a strategic advisor for its military AI initiatives. The appointment was announced on November 2, 2026. A few years ago, OpenAI's usage policies barred military and warfare applications outright, and the company now has a former Pentagon chief on its roster.

On February 9, 2026, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT would become available on GenAI.mil, the military's generative AI platform. The custom version is set to serve up to 3 million users. On February 27, 2026, OpenAI signed an agreement with the Department of Defense to deploy its AI models in classified environments. The agreement also reportedly draws lines, setting boundaries against mass domestic surveillance and against the use of autonomous weapons.

OpenAI's pivot started in 2024, when it removed the prohibitions on military and warfare uses from its policies. The policy shift cleared the way for the GenAI.mil rollout, the classified deployment deal and the contract pipeline that followed.

OpenAI's Defense Contracts and Funding

OpenAI's unclassified defense contracts are valued at up to $200 million, according to akta.pro company records. The same records show a $122 billion funding round closed in April 2026, the largest private market raise in history, led by Amazon with $50 billion, Nvidia with $30 billion and SoftBank with $30 billion, with Microsoft, BlackRock, Blackstone, Sequoia and Temasek participating. The round valued OpenAI at $852 billion.

Earlier OpenAI Defense and Policy Moves

OpenAI's policy change came in 2024, when the company removed prohibitions on military and warfare uses. On February 9, 2026, the company announced ChatGPT would be available on GenAI.mil, the military's generative AI platform, with the custom version set to serve up to 3 million users, Crypto Briefing reported. On February 27, 2026, OpenAI signed an agreement with the Department of Defense to deploy its AI models in classified environments, with boundaries against mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.