OpenAI has responded to a wave of online criticism after inviting social media creators and influencers on a company-funded "Summer Camp" trip to a luxury resort in New York's Hudson Valley. Critics accused the AI firm and participating creators of tone-deafness, given growing public concern over AI's environmental footprint and its impact on jobs, prompting OpenAI to say it "welcomes healthy debate" and values engagement from creators who "ask tough questions."

The trip took place at Wildflower Farms, an Auberge Collection property near Gardiner, NY, where rooms currently list for between $2,253 and $5,413 a night; creators were hosted in individual cabins and greeted with rosé and branded merchandise. Prominent commentators, including TikTok creator Meredith Lynch, filmmaker Caroline Renard and actress DeWanda Wise, publicly criticised the excursion, with several linking the lavish, farm-to-table setting to concerns about water and energy use tied to AI technology. OpenAI defended the trip as part of its ongoing engagement with creators, comparing them to "traditional media and other marketing partners."