OpenAI influencer retreat sparks backlash over AI concerns

OpenAI hosted what influencers described as its first brand trip, a nature retreat outside New York City promoted under the name 'Summer Club.' Attendees posted photos and videos of their cabins, branded merchandise and monogrammed pajamas, and vaguely described the scheduled program. Most of the creators came from career and business niches, and many were young women.

The posts quickly attracted hostile comments. Some viewers accused the influencers of 'selling their soul' for a free hotel stay, while others sarcastically suggested building a data center on the scenic grounds. The original videos received only modest engagement: one TikTok from Grace McCarrick, who has 145,000 followers, got under 300 likes; another from Nat Lucy, with 57,000 followers, had fewer than 15,000 views. But reaction videos criticizing the trip drew more than half a million combined views.

Commenters pointed to the environmental effects of the AI boom, the controversial expansion of data centers, and fears that AI will replace jobs. Some questioned why so many attendees were young women, suggesting OpenAI was trying to reach a demographic that, according to Pew Research, is more likely to view AI negatively and twice as likely to say AI will hurt them personally. Others accused the company of using influencers to 'launder' the reputation of an industry facing scrutiny.

McCarrick later responded to critics, saying she 'genuinely had no idea that people were this anti-AI' and decrying what she called 'the shocking AI psychosis running rampant online.' She added that people in the real world do not 'run around like a chicken with their heads cut off' about water use and wildlife. The Verge's requests for comment from influencers were not answered. OpenAI spokesperson Edie Campbell-Urban said creators are an important part of the community and the event was meant to be educational, adding that the company welcomes healthy debate.

The trip was relatively simple by brand-trip standards, though rooms at the resort cost more than $2,000 a night. It was a domestic getaway, not an international luxury junket. Multiple influencers said it was the first brand trip they had attended, and one indicated they were not paid. Despite the expensive setting, attendees posted surprisingly little content about the event itself; most of what did appear focused on aspirational lifestyle imagery rather than ChatGPT's capabilities. There was no flood of session summaries or educational takeaways.

AI companies have increasingly turned to influencer marketing as public resistance grows. OpenAI and Anthropic have experimented with pop-up coffee shops, merch drops, and lifestyle events. Anthropic has held small dinners for influencers, and there are rumors of another OpenAI trip on the West Coast. However, the backlash to this weekend shows that influencer marketing can backfire: the criticism often lands on individual creators rather than the company, as happened after an influencer trip for fast-fashion brand Shein in 2023.