Reports indicate OpenAI has hired former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper to expand its military AI business.

OpenAI is reportedly hiring Mark Esper, a former defense secretary from the Trump administration, to help expand its military AI operations. He served as head of the US Army from 2017 to 2019, then led the Pentagon until his dismissal in November 2020. Before that, he managed government relations at Raytheon for seven years. The author notes that Esper previously supported early Pentagon AI ethics initiatives, which relate to OpenAI's stated usage restrictions.