Gwyneth Paltrow has once again found herself at the center of online discourse, but this time she’s being criticized for allegedly throwing a party.
A viral image claiming to be a leaked invitation for an upcoming dinner hosted by Paltrow is circulating on X and Threads, claiming that the actress-turned-entrepreneur is planning to welcome guests in honor of a surprising figure in the tech world: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
“Gwyneth Paltrow invites you to a private, off-the-record al fresco dinner at her home in honor of Sam Altman,” the alleged invite reads, providing a Goop-affiliated RSVP email address.
According to the invite, the dinner is to take place later this month at Paltrow’s home in the Hamptons, with cocktails beginning at 6:00 p.m. followed promptly by a sit-down dinner.
The whole ordeal carries a slightly bizarre undertone, with two seemingly opposite worlds colliding: Paltrow built an eccentric lifestyle brand while Altman leads a company that built one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence technologies.
Although a Paltrow-Altman dinner might seem to be something straight out of a ChatGPT hallucination, users on social media are taking it as real without either party publicly confirming its veracity.
And even news outlets like Puck are reporting on the event.
Fast Company reached out to Goop and OpenAI for comment.
While the invite made its way around the internet on Wednesday, many social media users voiced their disapproval.
“[Like] an episode of black mirror,” wrote one user on X in a typical response.
Even Partiful, the digital invitations platform, responded to the news, saying “no partiful is crazy.”
On Threads, the same invite gained traction as well, with one user saying “Let them eat gluten free overpriced cake – with a side of extractive capitalism and a little fascism frosting.”
Others also took notice of the invitation’s strangely poor design—which features a serif font, a beige background with blue floral motifs, doves, and a rising sun.
“I’m struggling to believe this is real because I wouldn’t even let an invitation like that go out,” a user said on X.
Distrust of AI leaders is rising
For many, the invite seems to have highlighted a lack of awareness from both parties.
“Really drives home the fact that her organic, chemical-free, homemade food aesthetic was always about being elitist first and foremost,” a user said on Threads. “Sam Altman is literally poisoning the water, babe.”
Another added, “there is something funny to me about an off-the-record dinner with a guy who basically lives on twitter.”
Backlash to the dinner also arrives at a time of heightened tensions between AI companies and the public.
Research shows that young people, in particular, distrust AI CEOs, and consumers are increasingly showing their disapproval of AI-generated content and materials, often lashing out at companies and public figures suspected of using it.
Yet Paltrow doesn’t seem to be following the AI-hate trend, with some of her recent activity foreshadowing her role as hostess to Altman.
In the past few months, she’s used her lifestyle platform Goop to interview AI experts, including the head of an AI defense company. Earlier this year, she also reportedly laid off part of her staff at Goop in favor of an AI pivot.
Observers have taken notice of her warming up to the booming industry.
“Consumer products have been using celebrities to build platforms and brand credibility for decades,” a user said on X. “It was only a matter of time before celebs lent the value of their personal brand to the new titans.”
