Influencers draw backlash for attending OpenAI’s first luxury trip
OpenAI’s first-ever influencer brand trip is sparking online backlash as tensions over the use of AI continue.
Get smart on it
OpenAI hosted its first luxury influencer retreat at an upstate New York resort, where creators participated in farm-to-table dinners, wellness activities, and training on how to use OpenAI products like the newly released ChatGPT Work. The event drew significant online backlash, with commenters criticizing influencers for promoting AI technology while questioning the environmental impact of AI data centers and raising concerns about the timing given broader skepticism toward AI. The backlash reflects broader public tension over AI's societal impact, with some commenters pointing out the contrast between the luxury retreat and concerns about AI's ecological footprint, as well as noting OpenAI's recent defense contract and upcoming major data center investment. OpenAI's spokesperson framed the trip as an education-focused effort to help creators learn practical uses for the company's tools so they could share that knowledge with their audiences.
Related news
OpenAI says it slowed Astra model development over security concerns
OpenAI said it has suspended work on some aspects of its upcoming model Astra over concerns about its cybersecurity prowess.
OpenAI puts the brakes on a new model because it’s supposedly too powerful
OpenAI says it is pausing "internal activities" around an in-development AI model, Astra, because it doesn't yet meet new security standards the company is putting in place. The announcement follows its recent disclosure that OpenAI models accidentally hacked Hugging Face. Anthropic and Meta have also since admitted that they had AI models that went rogue and breached other organizations. Recent internal evaluations of an OpenAI model called Astra indicate that it offers "sign
