Report says Katie Zacharia was wrongly listed as adviser to NRED

In short: A press release said former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia joined an AI-focused mining company, but she and the company say it never happened.

What happened

WIRED reported new details about NRED Intelligent Mining, a company that says it wants to use AI, meaning software that tries to spot patterns and make predictions, to help find minerals used in electronics.

On June 24, the company, then called NovaRed Mining, posted a press release saying Zacharia was joining its advisory board. The release also said former Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem was a strategic adviser.

Zacharia told WIRED the announcement was “fake.” She and Sam Amsterdam, a marketing professional who spoke as a friend and colleague, said the release was issued without her consent. Amsterdam said there were talks about a role, but Zacharia never actually joined.

Valentin Saitarli, NRED’s chief technology officer and incoming CEO, also confirmed there were discussions that “never materialized.” He compared it to “signing up for a gym but never actually going for a workout.”

WIRED noted that the press release remained on the company’s website as of Friday, and archived versions of the site showed Zacharia listed as management at least as far back as July. Saitarli said the site was being updated.

Why it matters

For the public, this is a reminder that press releases and company websites can contain claims that are disputed or out of date. When a company connects itself to well-known political figures, it can shape how people judge the company, even if the connection is not real.

Source: Wired