Leidos, OpenAI deploying AI to transform federal operations

Rhea-AI Summary

Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) and OpenAI announced a partnership to integrate OpenAI generative and agentic AI into federal workflows across digital modernization, health services, national security, infrastructure and defense as part of Leidos' NorthStar 2030 strategy. Leidos says it will deploy OpenAI models in secure configurations to protect customer data and will use ChatGPT and the OpenAI API internally to accelerate product design, automation, threat assessments, supply chain monitoring and deepfake detection.

Key Figures

NorthStar horizon: 2030

1 metrics

NorthStar horizon 2030 Target year in Leidos' NorthStar 2030 growth strategy

Market Reality Check

Price: $193.45 Vol: Volume 918,654 is 1.09x t...

normal vol

$193.45 Last Close

Volume Volume 918,654 is 1.09x the 20-day average of 845,982, indicating slightly elevated interest ahead of this AI news. normal

Technical Shares at $192.12 are trading above the 200-day MA of $172.66 and 6.63% below the 52-week high of $205.77.

Peers on Argus

LDOS is up 0.63% while peers show mixed, mostly modest moves: CDW up 1.59%, CTSH...

LDOS is up 0.63% while peers show mixed, mostly modest moves: CDW up 1.59%, CTSH up 1.38%, GIB up 0.13%, BR down 1.43%, WIT flat. The pattern points to a stock-specific reaction rather than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 13 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 13	Earnings call scheduled	Neutral	+0.2%	Announced timing for Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings call.
Dec 15	Leadership & AI hire	Positive	-2.0%	Appointed AI-focused CTO to accelerate NorthStar 2030 technology strategy.
Dec 08	AI customs collaboration	Positive	-0.6%	Partnered with CargoSeer to add AI trade-analysis to inspection platform.
Dec 04	Energy contract renewal	Positive	-2.9%	Won three-year, <b>$127 million</b> Hawai'i Energy administration contract renewal.
Dec 02	Security certification win	Positive	-0.7%	B220-HT explosive trace detector achieved EU G1 security standard certification.

Pattern Detected

Recent operational and contract wins have often been followed by modest or negative next-day moves, suggesting a tendency for the stock to underreact or fade on positive headlines.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, LDOS has reported several operational and strategic milestones. An earnings call scheduling on Feb. 17, 2026 saw a mild 0.18% move. Positive announcements—including a new CTO focused on AI (-1.99%), collaborations on customs inspection (-0.64%), a $127 million Hawai'i Energy contract (-2.91%), and EU G1 certification for its B220-HT system (-0.72%)—were followed mostly by negative price reactions. Today’s OpenAI partnership extends this AI- and mission-focused narrative within the NorthStar 2030 strategy.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement expands Leidos’ AI strategy by embedding OpenAI’s generative and agentic models in...

Analysis

This announcement expands Leidos’ AI strategy by embedding OpenAI’s generative and agentic models into federal workflows across defense, health, and digital modernization, while also automating internal knowledge work such as threat assessments and deepfake detection. It builds on prior AI partnerships and leadership changes tied to the NorthStar 2030 strategy. Investors may watch for concrete contract wins, deployment milestones, and productivity metrics that demonstrate operational impact from this collaboration.

Key Terms

generative AI, agentic AI, deepfake detection

3 terms

generative AI technical

"integrating Open AI-powered generative and agentic AI into the core workflows"

Generative AI is a type of computer technology that can create new content, like text, images, or music, on its own. It’s important because it can produce realistic and useful material quickly, which could change how we create art, write stories, or even develop new products. Think of it as a smart robot that can invent and produce things almost like a human.

agentic AI technical

"integrating Open AI-powered generative and agentic AI into the core workflows"

Agentic AI refers to computer systems that can make their own decisions and take actions without needing someone to tell them what to do each time. It's like giving a robot a degree of independence to solve problems or achieve goals on its own, which matters because it could change how we work and interact with technology in everyday life.

deepfake detection technical

"to accelerate how we perform a range of knowledge work, including global threat assessments, supply chain monitoring and deepfake detection."

Deepfake detection is the practice of using software and analytical techniques to identify audio, video, or image content that has been convincingly altered or synthetically created to mislead viewers. For investors, it matters because falsified media can spread fake corporate statements, manipulate market sentiment, or trigger trading moves; think of detection as a smoke alarm that flags phony evidence before it causes financial harm.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

RESTON, Va., Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) and OpenAI are partnering to deploy artificial intelligence in support of national priorities, including boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of government agencies.

The companies plan on integrating Open AI-powered generative and agentic AI into the core workflows of customers in strategic markets including digital modernization, health services, national security and infrastructure, and defense. Those are the foundations of Leidos' NorthStar 2030 growth strategy.  

"Leidos and OpenAI are harnessing the transformative power of AI to help improve how federal agencies operate," said Leidos Chief Technology Officer Ted Tanner. "With OpenAI's most powerful models in a secure configuration designed to protect Leidos and customer data, we're working together to enhance productivity and accelerate product development and delivery."

Joseph Larson, vice president of government at OpenAI, 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."

In addition to building OpenAI innovation into their core operational systems, every Leidos customer will benefit from Leidos' internal automation and accelerated product design and delivery thanks to the thousands of Leidos employees now leveraging OpenAI's ChatGPT and API Platform daily.

"Our IT strategy includes putting effective, scaled AI tools into the hands of our employees across the globe," said Tanner. "With OpenAI, we're going beyond generative AI to develop custom agentic workflows that make us noticeably more efficient. We're integrating OpenAI's models with our own AI tools to accelerate how we perform a range of knowledge work, including global threat assessments, supply chain monitoring and deepfake detection."

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Our mission is to ensure that artificial generative intelligence benefits all of humanity.

Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the "Risk Factors" set forth in Leidos' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Leidos does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made.

Media Contact:

Brandon Ver Velde
571.526.6257
brandon.p.vervelde@leidos.com

 

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SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc.

FAQ

What did Leidos (LDOS) announce with OpenAI on January 22, 2026?

Leidos announced a partnership to integrate OpenAI generative and agentic AI into federal workflows across several strategic markets on January 22, 2026.

Which federal areas will Leidos (LDOS) and OpenAI target with their AI deployment?

They plan to target digital modernization, health services, national security, infrastructure and defense.

How will Leidos (LDOS) use OpenAI tools internally?

Leidos said thousands of employees will use ChatGPT and the OpenAI API daily to speed automation, product design and knowledge work.

What security measures did Leidos (LDOS) cite for using OpenAI models?

Leidos said OpenAI's models will be deployed in a secure configuration designed to protect Leidos and customer data.

What operational tasks did Leidos (LDOS) say the AI will help improve?

The company highlighted productivity gains in global threat assessments, supply chain monitoring and deepfake detection.