A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat

A striking development has emerged in artificial intelligence. Taylor Lorenz Business May 1, 2026 4:25 PM A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat Build American AI, a nonprofit linked to a super PAC bankrolled by executives at OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz, is funding a campaign to spread pro-AI messaging and stoke fears about China. Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story In an Instagram video posted on April 1, lifestyle influencer Melissa Strahle poses outdoors before an American flag as soft instrumental music plays. “AI lets me focus on what matters most,” she tells her 1.

“We need to invest in American-made AI to ensure America leads the way in innovation and job creation. ” Strahle labeled the post an advertisement, but she didn’t disclose what organization had paid for it. It turns out the funding came from Build American AI, a dark-money group tied to Leading the Future, a $100 million super PAC supported by, and in some cases directly funded by, tech figures affiliated with companies like OpenAI and Palantir.

Technical Details

The video is part of a coordinated influence campaign that Build American AI is funding, which is being rolled out on social media in two phases. The first focused on working with lifestyle influencers like Strahle, who did not respond to a request for comment, to promote the US artificial intelligence industry and American innovation. But the second and current phase of the campaign is all about China.

Marketing agencies are pitching influencers deals such as $5,000 per TikTok video to amplify Build American AI’s messaging about how China’s technological rise should be seen as a threat. The goal, according to a staffer from SM4, the influencer marketing agency running the campaign on behalf of Build American AI, is to subtly shift public debate by framing China’s AI advancement as a serious risk to the safety and well-being of Americans. “They want a push to mention China and America and why beating China is so important,” says the staffer.

Sample messaging provided by Build American AI to content creators includes lines like “I just learned that China is trying really hard to beat the US in AI. If they do, it could mean that China gets personal data from me and my kids, and take jobs that should be here in the US In the AI innovation race, I’m Team USA!!! ” WIRED first learned about the campaign after this article’s author was invited by SM4 to participate.

The details were later confirmed by several other content creators who received similar outreach. Josh Murphy, an ecologist with over 130,000 followers on Instagram who says he did not respond to SM4’s offer, explains that while he’s “not necessarily against AI,” combining generic praise for the technology with aggressive anti-China messaging felt off to him.

This advance offers important signals about the future of the sector, and the tech world is watching closely.