OpenAI Hires Dan Driscoll for National Security AI Role

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI hired former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization to advise on AI for national security and cybersecurity.
• HCLTech appointed Nalin Handoo as Senior Vice President and Head of Sales for its AI Data Center business.
• Google is expanding its free AI Educator Series to five new global regions including Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Australia and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Oliver Wyman research finds 74 percent of white-collar workers say AI handles tasks junior employees once learned from managers, but only 27 percent say companies have fully redesigned skill training.
• Fortinet's Luca Simonelli, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, said AI security is the company's main regional focus with FortiAIGate securing AI models and workflows.
• Google Research scientist Alex Krentsel reproduced weight-space programming results, showing the ability appears suddenly in newer AI models rather than improving gradually.
• NOVA Tennis Academy in Miami is testing TennisAC, an AI app that analyzes 60-second smartphone videos of tennis techniques and generates performance scores.
• UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan expressed confidence in the AI Security Institute's access to frontier models and warned AI could threaten democratic integrity.
• xplicator GmbH's KnowScapes Shopify app uses AI to give customers personalized shopping advice combining store knowledge with general world information.
• Enrollify Futures will launch a platform in January 2027 offering AI training for campus professionals through project-based learning, with free access for Element451 customers.

OpenAI hires Dan Driscoll for national security advisory role

OpenAI named former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as senior counselor for national security modernization. He will advise leadership on using AI for national security and cybersecurity. Driscoll will help U.S. allies adopt advanced AI responsibly. He is an Iraq war veteran who previously pushed for military modernization. The role was announced on November 3, 2026.

Ex-Army Secretary Dan Driscoll joins OpenAI in new role

Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is joining OpenAI as Senior Counselor for National Security Modernization. He will work with senior leadership and partners across governments, industry, and academia. The role focuses on advancing practical AI modernization initiatives. Driscoll previously served as acting director of the ATF during 2025 and 2026. He became Army Secretary in 2026.

Enrollify Futures brings AI training to colleges

Enrollify Futures is launching a platform to help campus professionals build AI skills. Starting in January 2027, it will offer courses on using AI in higher education administration. The platform uses project-based learning so universities can test practical AI tools. Element451 customers will get free access to program resources in 2027. It aims to strengthen employee capabilities while keeping human oversight.

Nalin Handoo joins HCLTech to lead AI Data Center sales

HCLTech appointed Nalin Handoo as Senior Vice President and Head of Sales for AI Data Center. He shared the news on LinkedIn on November 3, 2026. Handoo will lead sales efforts for HCLTech's AI Data Center business. This area focuses on AI-driven infrastructure and data center capabilities. His role aims to strengthen customer engagement in this growing technology segment.

NOVA Tennis Academy tests AI app by teen developer

NOVA Tennis Academy in Miami is testing TennisAC, an AI training app built by young player Alex Chudakov. The app analyzes 60-second smartphone videos of tennis techniques like serves and forehands. It generates performance scores and recommends improvements. Students at the academy, which serves over 360 participants across five locations, will test it during regular training. The app was developed under the SensoryStrength Training methodology of Dmitry Bezpamiatnyi.

Google AI educator training expands to five new global regions

Google is expanding its free AI Educator Series to Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Australia and sub-Saharan Africa. The program teaches teachers practical AI skills they can use in their classrooms. It first launched in the U.S. and then spread to India, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and the U.K. and Ireland. New lessons are added each month based on teacher feedback.

KnowScapes Shopify app uses AI for personalized shopping advice

xplicator GmbH announced the KnowScapes Shopify app set for release in November 2026. The app goes beyond simple product search by combining store knowledge with general world information. It can give customers personalized recommendations based on their specific needs and situations. For example, it can help a hiker planning a trip to Iceland choose the right gear. The AI advisor can also switch between topics like different travel destinations while keeping the customer's existing equipment in mind.

UK confident in AI Security Institute's access to frontier models

UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan said the country trusts the AI Security Institute's ability to test frontier AI models before deployment. He spoke about the institute's technical skills and its work to build trust with US authorities and companies. Narayan also warned that AI could increase threats to democratic integrity. He expressed concern about hostile states and proxy actors interfering with UK democratic debate.

AI can teach employees but managers still matter for growth

New Oliver Wyman research shows AI is changing how employees learn their jobs. About 74 percent of white-collar workers said AI already handles some tasks junior employees used to learn from managers. But only 27 percent said companies have fully redesigned how those skills are taught. The research included over 25,000 survey responses across 15 markets and 415 CEOs. The article asks whether managers are still needed to help employees grow beyond what AI can teach.

Google researcher reproduces weight-space programming results

Google Research scientist Alex Krentsel reproduced MIT CSAIL's findings on weight-space programming. This capability lets AI models edit their own weights during runtime. Krentsel found the ability appears suddenly in the latest models rather than improving gradually. Models like GPT-5 through GPT-5.5 scored near zero while newer versions showed dramatic jumps. He notes the skill may grow from older interpretability work but is not yet feasible for the largest frontier models with hundreds of billions of weights.

Fortinet's Simonelli makes AI security key to APAC growth

Luca Simonelli joined Fortinet as Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific a few months ago. He said AI security is the main focus for the company in the region. Fortinet's FortiAIGate solution secures AI models, LLMs, and agentic AI workflows. The company holds over 570 AI-related patents. Simonelli stressed the importance of partners and MSSPs in helping customers secure their AI environments.

Sources

• OpenAI hires former U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll for national security role
• Former Trump Army secretary lands new job at tech company
• AI Higher Education Training
• Nalin Handoo Joins HCLTech as SVP & Head of Sales
• NOVA Tennis Academy introduces AI training App developed by young tennis player Alex Chudakov
• Google AI educator training to expand to five new locations
• KnowScapes for Shopify: When AI Does More Than Find Products -- It Understands Customer Needs
• UK has trust in AI Security Institute's frontier model access, minister says | MLex | Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation
• AI Can Teach Employees. But Can It Really Help Them Grow?
• Ability For Weight-Space Programming Has Appeared Only In Latest Models, Says Google Researcher Alex Krentsel Who Reproduced Results
• Fortinet’s Simonelli puts AI security at heart of APAC growth strategy