Build American AI pays influencers to cast Chinese AI as a threat
Updated
Updated · WIRED · May 1
Build American AI pays influencers to cast Chinese AI as a threat
11 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 1
Marketing agency SM4 offered some creators $5,000 per TikTok video, while phase one used lifestyle influencers on Instagram to promote American-made AI without naming the sponsoring group.
The campaign is tied to Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC backed by tech figures linked to OpenAI, Palantir, Andreessen Horowitz and Perplexity, though OpenAI and Palantir denied company funding.
The push comes as AI becomes a 2026 midterm issue and industry groups resist stricter regulation, raising concerns that undisclosed paid influencer messaging is distorting public debate and democratic accountability.
Could secretive influencer campaigns funded by tech interests reshape how Americans perceive AI and its global risks without them ever realizing it?
How might the rapid expansion of AI data centers and industry lobbying affect local communities, public trust, and the future of US innovation?
As AI-generated influencers blur lines between advertising and propaganda, what safeguards can ensure transparency and protect democratic debate online?