For years, beauty and lifestyle brands have courted influencers with lavish dinners, destination getaways and exclusive experiences designed to generate buzz online. Now, tech companies are adopting the same playbook and drawing some of the same criticism. The latest example is OpenAI. The Sam Altman-helmed company, which already faces scrutiny over its government contracts, data center buildout and cybersecurity incidents, hosted its first known influencer trip last weekend.
Dubbed “OpenAI Summer Camp,” the retreat took place at Wildflower Farms, a luxury Hudson Valley resort where weekend rooms can cost more than $2,000 a night. Roughly 30 creators attended, according to photos shared by attendees on social media. Their itinerary included farm-to-table meals, beekeeping, wellness activities and workshops on OpenAI products and features.
OpenAI has not released a full guest list. But several attendees identified themselves online and quickly encountered a backlash that took issue with the company’s environmental footprint. Critics called the getaway dystopian and accused OpenAI and its guests of greenwashing: promoting a polished, sustainability-adjacent image while the company pushes to build energy-intensive data centers across the country.
The guest list included creators focused on technology, A.I., business and careers across Instagram and TikTok. Among them were Avni Barman, the founder of the tech community Gen She, who has 513,000 followers on Instagram; Sreya Halder, a TikTok creator with 437,000 followers and co-founder of the shopping alert app The Mall; and Megan Lieu, a Washington, D.C.-based data scientist with 227,000 Instagram followers.
Other attendees included Nat Lucy, who has 57,800 TikTok followers and launched the Lucine nightgown brand; Grace McCarrick, a TikTok creator with 145,800 followers who offers career advice for aspiring tech workers; and Justyn Berkovits, an A.I. coach for founders with 154,000 Instagram followers.
McCarrick posted an Instagram video captioned, “Unwind with me on ChatGPT’s first brand trip,” showing the upscale accommodations at the resort. The post drew pointed criticism. Meredith Lynch, another creator who later addressed McCarrick’s post on her own account, commented: “Can’t wait to show this to the millions of folks who are begging to not have data centers in their backyards because of air and noise pollution but your robe looks cozy.”
Another commenter wrote that the trip was “so tone deaf,” arguing that a luxury influencer retreat risked reinforcing public fears that A.I. primarily serves elites while threatening jobs and intellectual property.
McCarrick responded in a series of videos, defending her decision to attend and addressing comments accusing her of “selling your morals for less than 100 likes.” In a longer LinkedIn post, she said the reaction had left her with “some battle scars,” though she did not regret attending.
Lucy also faced criticism after posting photos from Wildflower Farms. One commenter wrote, “If you love A.I. so much, go live near a data center then,” and another wrote, “Looks like a nice spot for a data center.” Another comment accused the company of harming bees.
Lieu said she was surprised by the response and intended to use the experience as an opportunity to learn. Other creators who attended appeared either to remain silent or remove posts about the retreat.
OpenAI is not alone in turning to creators as it seeks to shape public perception of generative A.I. Over the past year, Anthropic hosted influencers at a brand dinner, while Microsoft Copilot hosted creators around the Super Bowl. Neither event appears to have generated the same level of criticism as OpenAI’s Hudson Valley retreat. Anthropic’s gathering, for instance, was smaller and more private, limiting its visibility and perhaps the scale of the backlash.
OpenAI did not respond to Observer’s request for comment. However, OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told other outlets, including TechCrunch, that creators are “an important part of our community and how people get information and learn about our products today.” The company has maintained that such events are intended to be educational.