OpenAI's "Summer Camp" for Influencers Sparks User Backlash
The company hosted content creators at a luxury New York resort costing over $2,000 per night, featuring training, merchandise, and outdoor activities. Social media users quickly accused the creators of greenwashing, leading to a wave of criticism. OpenAI has offered no apologies for the controversial event.
OpenAI is currently navigating a period of challenging PR narratives, including a lawsuit from Apple, and its latest initiative has only fueled the fire. The company hosted several content creators at a luxury resort in New York’s Hudson Valley for an event participants dubbed the "OpenAI summer camp," quickly drawing sharp criticism online. The event took place at Wildflower Farms, a resort spanning approximately 567 dunams, where weekend room rates typically exceed $2,000 per night.
"Creators are an important part of our community and the way people get information and learn about our products today," an OpenAI spokesperson told media outlets, including Business Insider. The company stated that the event focused on education, was linked to the recent launch of ChatGPT Work (an agentic work mode and competitor to Claude for Work), and was designed to promote the practical applications of their products through content creators.
According to participant posts, the schedule included training on new OpenAI tools, group meals, and outdoor activities, such as a meeting with a beekeeper. Creators also received branded merchandise, including tote bags and jars of honey. One event description featured a dinner around a long wooden table for approximately 30 people, complete with food, wine, and an illuminated OpenAI logo.
However, the "green" backdrop of the event proved problematic for many observers. OpenAI and other AI firms are facing intense scrutiny over the construction of data centers across the US, amid concerns regarding rising energy costs, massive water consumption, and industry-wide layoffs. On platforms like X, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram, critics accused OpenAI of "greenwashing"—a marketing strategy used to project a false environmental image to mask polluting activities. Others criticized the influencers for promoting AI without addressing the technology's environmental impact.
"This is the right context to use the word 'dystopian'," one Reddit user wrote. Journalist Taylor Lorenz noted on X that the participating creators are being "cancelled," adding that it is notable she did not see similar backlash toward creators who attended events hosted by Anthropic, which she claims also works with the US Department of Defense. Startup Signull Labs, creator of the AI agent service Skye, compared the event to Anthropic’s retreats, noting that the latter kept a low profile with quiet, private dinners rather than flashy, luxury retreats. "But OpenAI made the influence operation completely visible, and that is probably what annoyed people," the company wrote.
Business Insider reported that none of the creators reached for comment responded. OpenAI did not disclose whether participants were paid, if the company funded travel and accommodation, or if creators were contractually obligated to post about the event. "We welcome a healthy discussion as AI becomes more common, and we appreciate creators who choose to be in contact with us, come to our events, ask hard questions, and learn alongside everyone," said an OpenAI spokesperson. "We will continue to value them, just as we value traditional media and other marketing partners."
Grace McCarrick, one of the participating creators, uploaded a video expressing her desire to create a series after interacting with the product team. She filmed the video while preparing for a bath, leading one commenter to cynically remark on the "irony of filling a bath on a ChatGPT brand trip." McCarrick has since uploaded two videos responding to the backlash: "My morals are not compromised," she stated. "I am very excited about AI and the opportunities it offers to humanity. Period."
OpenAI is not the first company to learn that influencer trips can become a PR headache. In 2023, fast-fashion giant Shein faced intense criticism after flying content creators to tour its facilities in China, with viewers accusing them of helping to "whitewash" concerns regarding labor and environmental practices.
