Wired Investigation: Dark-Money PAC Linked to OpenAI and Palantir Pays TikTok Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as National Threat

Wired·high signal

A Wired investigation reveals 'Build American AI,' a dark-money nonprofit linked to a super PAC backed by executives at OpenAI and Palantir, is paying lifestyle influencers up to $5,000 per video to frame Chinese AI as an existential security threat. The campaign, managed by influencer agency SM4, targets young audiences on TikTok with sponsored content that lacks meaningful disclosure of its tech-industry funding sources. Both OpenAI and Palantir deny direct corporate affiliation with the groups.