Overview
- Over a recent weekend, OpenAI hosted a two-day "Summer Club" at Wildflower Farms in New York that brought creators together for workshops on ChatGPT Work, beekeeping, farm-to-table meals and branded swag.
- Several attendees posted polished social content and then faced rapid criticism accusing them of tone-deaf promotion and greenwashing because OpenAI is expanding energy- and water‑intensive data centers.
- OpenAI defended the event as education-focused and said creators help people learn about its products, but it declined to confirm whether attendees were paid, had travel covered, or were required to post.
- Some creators publicly defended their participation while others removed or curtailed posts, and reporters documented uncertainty about the terms of the trip and what organizers asked of participants.
- The episode highlights OpenAI’s new creator-marketing push after hiring a VP of creative partnerships and raises reputational and accountability risks that could force clearer disclosure about influencer deals and data‑center impacts.