Here's who's actually paying for AI hype.
This past weekend, OpenAI flew a group of creators to a retreat in upstate New York, farm-to-table dinners, beekeeping, a painting workshop, and ChatGPT training sessions. The content that came back was aesthetic. The comments underneath it were not.
What the Comments Actually Said
One creator was told she "sold her soul for a nice hotel room." Another was asked if she'd do a follow-up video reconciling her $5,000-a-night suite with what AI data centers actually cost the planet.
The Numbers Behind the Backlash
OpenAI is reportedly closing in on a $500 billion deal for a data center in Ohio, on top of a $200 million contract with the Department of Defense. That's the context people were reacting to.
How the Attendees Responded
One creator told a reporter afterward: "I didn't for one second consider it would be controversial." Another quietly deleted her trip content once a journalist started asking questions.
Why This Hits Close to Home
This account runs on a clone of my own voice and face, and I tag every single video as AI-made, not because a platform makes me, because you deserve to know what you're looking at.
My Honest Take
A branded trip with no clear disclosure of what it actually is isn't creativity, it's marketing wearing a creator's face. I'm not saying don't take the trip. I'm saying if you're helping sell something this size, be honest that it's a sale.
Does It Bother You When a Creator Doesn't Disclose What's Sponsored?
OpenAI flew influencers to a luxury retreat to promote ChatGPT, and the backlash was really about who profits from AI hype versus who pays for it.