# OpenAI reportedly hires former defense secretary Mark Esper for military AI work

> Original title: OpenAI has reportedly hired Mark Esper, Donald Trump’s former defense secretary, to help expand its military AI work.

- Source: Rohan Paul
- Published: 2026-11-02T23:45:14.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/zjw57cofmv6ytrqnpun7qb9pg
- Original: https://x.com/rohanpaul_ai/status/2117402685754491135

## Summary

OpenAI has reportedly hired Mark Esper, Donald Trump's former defense secretary, to help expand its military AI work. Esper ran the Army from 2017 to 2019 and led the Pentagon until he was fired in November 2020. He previously spent seven years in government relations at Raytheon and backed the Pentagon's early AI ethics programs as defense secretary.

## Post

OpenAI has reportedly hired Mark Esper, Donald Trump’s former defense secretary, to help expand its military AI work.

He ran the Army from 2017 to 2019, then led the whole Pentagon until he was fired in November 2020.

Before that, he spent 7 years running government relations at Raytheon, so he knows weapons buying from both sides.

As defense secretary, he also backed the Pentagon’s early AI ethics programs, which gives him standing on the limits OpenAI says it enforces.

![](https://badinfluence.news/api/img-proxy?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FHWKGFFPaMAAkIf0.png&mode=thumb&exp=1793923200&sig=2ebdfebc19a38800)