Google, Microsoft pay creators $500,000 and more to promote AI
Megan Lieu is an influencer who creates technology-related content and gives career advice on social media.
Technology companies are like this Microsoft And Google They go after new users for their AI services the same way any marketer tries to make their products look cool: through social media influencers.
Other AI players including OpenAI, Anthropic and Metait also recruits social media creators to post sponsored content on apps like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and even LinkedIn. According to industry experts, payouts for these promotions can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Artificial intelligence companies have significantly increased their advertising in the past year. According to Sensor Tower, generative AI platforms will spend more than $1 billion on digital ads in the US in 2025; This figure increased by 126% compared to the previous year. Influencer marketing is now emerging as one of the next battlegrounds for users in the AI boom.
The ad race is heading into the biggest sporting event of the year in the U.S. Anthropic is spending millions of dollars to run a 60-second pre-game and 30-second in-game ad during Sunday’s Super Bowl, taking aim at OpenAI’s decision to start showing ads on ChatGPT.
In the emerging creator space, influencers are being paid by tech companies to promote their AI tools to social media users. This could be through writing a LinkedIn post on how to use Anthropic’s Claude Code or posting an Instagram video about fun things to do with Microsoft Copilot or Perplexity’s Comet assistant.
These services have come a long way since OpenAI ushered in the era of generative AI with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. While Google strengthened its position in the market with the release of its latest model Gemini 3 in November, Anthropic, Microsoft and Meta also continued to release updates.
Microsoft and Google paid creators between $400,000 and $600,000 for long-term partnerships lasting several months, according to a person familiar with the deals who asked not to be identified because the terms are private.
“We are seeing a huge increase in spend by creators from these AI brands,” said AJ Eckstein, founder and CEO of Creator Match, an agency that connects brands to creators. The firm works with a number of AI-focused brands, including Anthropic, HeyGen, and Notion.
“We’re seeing a lot more interest from AI brands every month,” he said, adding that AI companies are looking for ways to market their tools and build stronger connections with users in more authentic ways.
Representatives from Microsoft and Google declined to comment.
Anthropic has emerged as one of the most aggressive AI companies in creator marketing. In March, the company hired Lexie Barnhorn, who previously worked at Notion. Driving influencer marketing on social media and podcasts. The AI lab has signed multiple brand deals with creators.
One of these creators is Megan Lieu, who produces content related to artificial intelligence and technology. Lieu told CNBC that his background as a data scientist helped him attract AI brands, closing the first such deal in mid-2025.
“These brands really want their customers to know that we are associated with AI,” said Lieu, who has nearly 400,000 followers across the platforms.
Lieu said the most significant brand deal to date was with Anthropic to promote Claude products. Lieu declined to specify how much Anthropic paid him, but said sponsored content deals typically range from $5,000 to $30,000, depending on the campaign.
“If you want to take your programming to the next level, Claude Code helps you do it with the power of artificial intelligence,” Lieu wrote. LinkedIn post Sponsored by Anthropic.
Antropik had no comment for this story.
‘There is a lot of money to spend’
AI companies are willing to spend much more than others, Eckstein said. There’s plenty of money to go around. anthropic lately While OpenAI was valued at $500 billion late last year, it has raised over $10 billion at a $350 billion valuation. Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta have market caps in the trillions.
Creators can charge up to $100,000 per post, Eckstein said.
“Some of these big companies have so much money to spend that they don’t care about negotiating,” he said.
Digital ad spending by Google and Microsoft to promote their AI products rose nearly 495% last month compared to the previous year, according to Sensor Tower. OpenAI also increased digital ad spend by more than 10x in 2025.
Beyond sponsored posts, AI companies spend heavily on creators by inviting them to events, offering early access to new tools, and paying for travel and lodging.
“We work with creators of all kinds, including artists, filmmakers, designers, and cultural partners, giving them early access to our tools and ultimately giving them the freedom to show us what is creatively possible with AI,” an OpenAI spokesperson told CNBC. he said.
But not all creators are willing to accept brand deals tied to AI products.
Jack Lepiarz shares his performances at the Renaissance fairs with his 7 million followers on social media.
G Lepiarz
Some said they turned down deals with AI companies due to ethical, environmental and creative concerns. Others said their audiences might be hostile to AI sponsorships, creating fear of backlash or being “canceled.”
Read the comment on a sponsored post promoting Veo by, Google’s AI video creation tool: “AI poor, unsubscribed” Stevie Sellsa creator. He did not respond to the comment.
Nearly half of U.S. adults say they are more worried than excited about artificial intelligence Pew Research Data published in October.
Some creators told CNBC they are walking away from potentially tens of thousands of dollars in AI-related sponsored deals. Creator agency experts said the backlash was strongest for image- or video-producing tools, which many creators see as directly replacing their artistic labor.
Content creator Jack Lepiarz, who goes by the name Jack the Whipper and has more than 7 million followers across platforms, told CNBC that he immediately rejects any brand deals involving artificial intelligence.
Lepiarz, whose content tends to focus on his performances at Renaissance fairs, said: “I cannot in conscience support something that would make it difficult for normal people to make a living.”
Lepiarz said he previously turned down a $20,000 branding deal to promote an AI product that powered generative imaging tools.
“Even if they came back with $100,000 or $500,000, I can’t see myself saying yes to that,” Lepiarz said. “This is something too far for me. A bridge too far to cross.”
