OpenAI’s Influencer Retreat Sparks Backlash Over AI’s Environmental and Ethical Costs
OpenAI hosted its first luxury influencer trip, drawing criticism from social media users concerned about AI's environmental impact and the company's defense contracts.
OpenAI has found itself at the center of an online controversy after hosting its first-ever brand trip for social media influencers. The event, named "Summer Club," took place over the weekend at a luxury retreat in upstate New York, where a small group of creators enjoyed farm-to-table dining, beekeeping, and workshops designed to showcase OpenAI's products. Some participants posted aesthetic videos, including one creator who built a website and another who photographed a brochure advertising a painting workshop.
However, the comments under these posts were far less idyllic. Critics accused the influencers of compromising their integrity for a hotel stay, while others questioned the environmental impact of AI data centers. One influencer was asked whether she would film a "get-ready-with-me" video about touring a data center. After TechCrunch reached out to a third influencer for comment, she deleted the video she had made about the trip, while leaving up other posts that did not explicitly mention the OpenAI event.
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri defended the gathering, describing it as an education-led initiative. He said the company works with creators to show practical uses of ChatGPT, including the newly released ChatGPT Work feature, which helps users draft documents and presentations. "Creators are an important part of our community," he said, adding that OpenAI welcomes healthy debate as AI becomes more widespread.
The backlash is not entirely surprising. In February, Vanity Fair reported that OpenAI had hired Charles Porch, a former Instagram executive, as its first vice president of global creative partnerships. Porch announced plans for a "listening tour" to learn how people relate to AI tools. OpenAI is not alone in courting influencers; Anthropic has hosted a dinner for Claude, and Microsoft Copilot arranged a Super Bowl trip for creators earlier this year. Yet none of those events provoked as strong a reaction.
The timing may have contributed. OpenAI is reportedly preparing a $500 billion deal to construct a data center in Ohio, amid growing scrutiny of the ecological footprint of such facilities. Commenters also pointed to OpenAI's $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense as a reason for their unease. One person who left a negative comment on an influencer's post told TechCrunch that many Americans hold negative views of AI and that these "posh influencer events" offer ammunition for criticism. "The world is on fire," she said, "It's not a great time to brag about your $5,000-a-night suite."
