OpenAI's influencer retreat turned into a controversy over greenwashing.

      OpenAI faces a perception issue, and it just worsened it over the weekend. The company took a group of influencers to a high-end resort in an effort to improve public sentiment towards AI. However, the internet quickly labeled the event as greenwashing.

      The gathering, named “Summer Camp,” took place at Wildflower Farms, a luxury resort in New York's Hudson Valley, where room rates can exceed $2,000 per night, according to Business Insider. Influencers shared experiences of farm-to-table dinners under bistro lights, beekeeping sessions, and workshops on OpenAI’s tools. They left with branded tote bags and jars of honey.

      The videos featured a soft-focus, lighthearted vibe, but the public reaction was harsh. Across platforms like TikTok, Reddit, X, and Instagram, users described the event as “dystopian” and accused OpenAI of greenwashing. One commenter told TechCrunch the problem was timing: “The world is on fire. It’s not a great time to brag about your $5,000-a-night suite.”

      The irony is evident. This criticism is not unfounded. OpenAI is rapidly establishing data centers throughout the US, which demand significant energy and water. The company is reportedly close to finalizing a $500bn deal for a data center in Ohio. Hosting a nature retreat, with bees included, amid such expansions was bound to seem insincere.

      Moreover, it surfaced in a public increasingly skeptical of AI. Concerns over rising energy bills, water scarcity, and job displacements have intensified online hostility. Consequently, the influencers became the focal point of criticism. Taylor Lorenz noted that the internet was “cancelling” participants. Some influencers defended the trip; one insisted her “morals were not compromised,” while another reframed the experience as simply time with “a tech company” before deleting her OpenAI video.

      Such trips are common in the influencer landscape, and OpenAI is not unique in organizing them. Competitors like Anthropic reportedly held a quiet dinner for creators, and Microsoft invited influencers to the Super Bowl. Yet, neither of those occasions drew such backlash. As noted by one startup, the key difference was visibility; Anthropic maintained a low profile while OpenAI prominently showcased its branding throughout the event.

      This was all by design. Earlier this year, OpenAI appointed Instagram’s former partnerships chief—its “celebrity whisperer”—as its first head of creative partnerships. According to the company, Summer Camp was centered on education, timed with the launch of ChatGPT Work, and intended to demonstrate practical applications of its tools. A spokesperson stated, “Creators are an important part of our community,” and noted the company encourages “healthy debate.”

      However, it seems OpenAI underestimated the nature of that debate. The company did not clarify whether the creators received payment or were expected to post about the event. Ultimately, what was meant to be a PR initiative ended up amplifying the very sentiment OpenAI aimed to mitigate. The trip that intended to improve the company's image instead intensified the image problem.