When OpenAI flew a group of influencers to a luxury retreat in upstate New York over the weekend, the goal was to showcase practical uses of its AI tools. Instead, the "Summer Club" event has ignited a firestorm of criticism online, with commenters questioning the ethics of such extravagant perks amid growing concerns about AI's environmental and societal impact. Main Developments The retreat, which OpenAI described as education-led, treated a small group of creators to farm-to-table dinners, wellness activities like beekeeping, and classes on using OpenAI products, including the newly released ChatGPT Work. Attendees posted aesthetic videos and photos on social media, some showcasing a website they built or a brochure advertising a painting workshop. However, the comment sections on those posts told a different story. One influencer faced accusations of selling her soul "for a nice hotel room," while another was asked if she could reconcile the trip with AI data centers' environmental impact. A third influencer deleted her video about the trip after TechCrunch reached out for comment, though she kept other posts that don't reference the event. Read also: Apple Fights New UK Order for Encrypted iCloud Access OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri defended the event, stating that the company works with creators to help people understand practical ways to use ChatGPT. "Creators are an important part of our community," he said, adding that OpenAI welcomes "healthy debate as AI becomes more prevalent" and values creators who ask tough questions. One influencer who attended wrote on LinkedIn that she expected people to be interested in "behind-the-scenes tips and tricks" but didn't anticipate the anti-AI sentiment. "I didn't for one second consider it would be controversial," she admitted. A commenter who criticized the trip told TechCrunch that such events give people "ammunition to have negative opinions," noting that "the world is on fire" and it's not the time to brag about a $5,000-a-night suite. Background OpenAI's foray into influencer marketing isn't new. In February, the company hired Charles Porch, a former Instagram VP of global partnerships, as its first VP of global creative partnerships. Porch, dubbed a "celebrity whisperer" by Vanity Fair, said he planned a "listening tour" to understand how creative communities relate to AI tools. OpenAI is also not alone among AI labs in courting influencers. Anthropic reportedly hosted a brand dinner for Claude, and Microsoft Copilot organized an influencer trip to the Super Bowl earlier this year. Yet none of those events have drawn the same level of backlash as OpenAI's Summer Club. The timing of the retreat magnified the criticism. OpenAI is reportedly on the verge of a $500 billion deal to build a data center in Ohio, a project that underscores the massive energy and resource demands of AI infrastructure. Commenters noted the irony of a luxury nature retreat juxtaposed with the environmental footprint of AI data centers. Why It Matters The backlash highlights a growing disconnect between AI companies' marketing strategies and public sentiment. As AI becomes more prevalent, many Americans hold negative views of the technology, and events like this can reinforce perceptions of AI elites as out-of-touch. The criticism also reflects deeper concerns about AI's socio-ecological impact, from data center energy consumption to defense contracts, such as OpenAI's reported $200 million deal with the Department of Defense. For influencers, the trip has become a cautionary tale about the risks of brand partnerships in a polarized environment. For OpenAI, it raises questions about whether luxury perks are an effective way to build trust with creators and the public, or whether they inadvertently fuel the very skepticism the company hopes to counter. What's Next OpenAI has not announced any changes to its influencer marketing strategy, and the company continues to emphasize the educational value of such events. However, the online backlash may prompt other AI labs to reconsider their approach to creator partnerships. As the Ohio data center deal moves forward, the conversation around AI's environmental and societal costs is likely to intensify, putting further scrutiny on how AI companies engage with influencers and the public. TechCrunch has reached out to the influencers involved for additional comment, but it remains unclear whether any will publicly address the controversy. The deleted video from one attendee suggests that some creators are already distancing themselves from the event, even as OpenAI maintains that healthy debate is welcome.