OpenAI's Influencer Retreat Backfires as Public Mood on AI Shifts

OpenAI held its first influencer brand trip, "Summer Club," at a luxury nature retreat upstate in August 2026. Reaction videos criticizing the getaway drew over 500,000 TikTok views, far outpacing the influencers' own posts. Critics cited AI's data-center expansion, energy consumption, and labor displacement — a signal that audiences are scrutinizing AI companies, not just marveling at them.