“No One is Paying Me”

Reese Witherspoon went viral last week — nearly five million views on Instagram and countless more when her comments were shared across platforms — for suggesting that her followers embrace and learn how to use artificial intelligence. “It’s time. It’s time, people,” she said in an IG Reel.

While some of her famous friends loved the seemingly organic promotion (“THIS,” commented Kerry Washington), not everyone was as enthusiastic. The backlash spread pretty far and wide as many on social media criticized Witherspoon for a multitude of reasons from the impact AI data centers have on the environment to how AI companies have stolen artists’ intellectual property to feed and train models, and more. Others flagged it as suspicious, questioning the timing and whether or not she has a partnership with AI companies.

Well, the Oscar winner has seen the backlash and responded. “Well, I guess my AI post got people talking,” Witherspoon posted on Instagram Stories on Monday. And she directly addressed whether or not she was being paid to promote AI, a claim that surfaced after her comments went viral and gained even more traction after Sandra Bullock said at CNBC’s Changemakers event that it’s time to lean into AI. “We have to use it in a really constructive and creative way, make it our friend,” Bullock said. The back-to-back AI promotion inspired theories that the Oscar winners were being paid to promote AI. Not so fast, Witherspoon said.

“To be clear, no one is paying me to talk about this,” stated her post. “I’m just a curious human. My kids are learning about AI tools, I know a lot of founders who are vibe coding, and I hear about people using AI in EVERY sector of business.”

Witherspoon also directly addressed some of negative impacts AI is having on employment and the environment. “But I want to acknowledge people’s concerns, they are valid. I’m aware of the impact this could have on jobs across so many industries. I understand environmental concerns. I care deeply about local communities. And I have concerns about impending [artificial general intelligence].”

She continued: “I don’t believe computers should replace humanity. I’m planning on learning as much as possible so that I’m educated about this technological revolution. If you want to learn with me, great, let’s do this! If you don’t, that’s okay too.”

For those who wish to follow Witherspoon on her AI educational and experimentation journey, she tagged a bunch of female creators whose voices are “helping make sense of AI right now.” Those include Shae O. Omonijo, Harper Carroll, Allie K. Miller, Cat Goetze, Sinéad Bovell and Dr. Nici Sweaney. See her posts below.