OpenAI’s Joseph Larson Wins First Wash100 Award for Advancing Federal AI Adoption
Executive Mosaic is pleased to name Joseph Larson, vice president and head of government at OpenAI, a 2026 Wash100 Award recipient in recognition of his contributions to advancing the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence to bolster national security and operational efficiency across federal missions.
“Joseph’s first Wash100 Award reflects the growing impact of his leadership at the intersection of advanced AI and government mission delivery. At OpenAI, Joseph has played a key role in helping federal leaders responsibly adopt cutting-edge artificial intelligence to strengthen national security, improve operational efficiency and support public-sector innovation,” said Jim Garrettson, Executive Mosaic CEO and founder of the Wash100 Award.
“Joseph’s skill at bridging emerging technology with real-world government needs has influenced how agencies think about AI deployment, governance and trust. This Wash100 honor highlights Joseph’s forward-looking leadership and the important role he continues to play in shaping the future of GovCon and federal technology,” added Garrettson.
Show your support for Joseph Larson by voting in the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote at Wash100.com.
Why Is Joseph Larson Winning the 2026 Wash100 Award?
In addition to his commitment to responsible AI implementation, Larson earned his first Wash100 Award for helping drive OpenAI’s growing presence in the federal sector by engaging with the company’s government partners. And for Larson, the challenge of having AI adopted by the government at the institutional level goes beyond providing access to the technology.
“It requires, really, a partnership,” Larson said at the 2025 Billington Cybersecurity Summit, adding, “And that partnership extends to questions around infrastructure, around data, and I think, key, around security” especially concerning agentic systems.
Strategic Partnerships
During Larson’s tenure at OpenAI, the company signed a multiyear strategic agreement with Amazon Web Services valued at about $38 billion. The agreement aims to support and scale OpenAI’s artificial intelligence workloads on AWS infrastructure.
AWS will provide OpenAI with access to hundreds of thousands of Nvidia GPUs and the ability to scale to tens of millions of CPUs to handle agentic AI demands. AWS’ infrastructure for OpenAI includes tightly interconnected clusters of EC2 UltraServers optimized with Nvidia GB200 and GB300 accelerators.
The company also partnered with Leidos to deploy agentic and generative AI tools across federal missions, supporting defense, national security and digital modernization efforts.
Commenting on the partnership, Larson said, “Government adoption of AI has to start with trust, security and mission relevance. With Leidos’ deep understanding of federal operations and OpenAI’s leading AI technology, we are supporting agencies as they move beyond experimentation and into real-world deployment that improves efficiency, resilience and public service.
Government-Focused Platform for Responsible AI Adoption
Building on the 2025 launch of ChatGPT Gov and OpenAI for Government, the company further accelerated AI adoption by partnering with the General Services Administration to offer ChatGPT Enterprise access to the entire federal executive branch for $1 per agency for one year.
Joseph Larson will be a keynote speaker at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit on Feb. 28!
Who Is Joseph Larson?
Larson is a national security and technology leader with extensive experience in AI, defense innovation and public service. As vice president and head of government at OpenAI, Larson leads the company’s engagement with public-sector partners across the U.S. and internationally.
Before joining OpenAI in July 2025, Larson served as senior vice president of national security operations at Anduril. He was also the first deputy chief digital and AI officer for algorithmic warfare at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he helped oversee AI and autonomy initiatives across the Department of War, including involvement with Project Maven and the establishment of Task Force Lima.
A Marine Corps Reserve officer, Larson brings more than two decades of military service to his work in the technology industry. In the private sector, he helped scale AI ventures at Tulco Labs, advanced AI/ML capabilities at Anduril Industries and delivered data platforms to defense and intelligence agencies at Palantir Technologies. He began his career as an associate at Sidley Austin.
Larson’s academic credentials include a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from the University of San Diego.
What Is OpenAI?
OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that advanced AI benefits all of humanity. Founded with a mission to develop safe and powerful AI systems, OpenAI focuses on creating cutting-edge machine learning technologies, including natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and AI alignment research.
Executive Mosaic extends its congratulations to Joseph Larson and the OpenAI team on his 2026 Wash100 honor.
Cast your vote for Joseph Larson in the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote Competition at Wash100.com!