AI/ML and LLMs definitely attract a certain cadre of very smart people. I think they enjoy the way that AI/ML sort of inverts the normal programming mindset and

AI/ML and LLMs definitely attract a certain cadre of very smart people. I think they enjoy the way that AI/ML sort of inverts the normal programming mindset and the strategies of handling lots of data. But I also agree that for many other smart people, what these things do is sort of an "obvious" result of doing bulk statistics on lots of data. The particulars can sometimes be surprising, but the aggregate result "thing that confidently generates false data" isn't. In between, there seems to be a very passionate, and very excited group of people who don't get it and think the AI magic is "thinking". Some of these people may also be smart, but they sure don't have a strong complete vertical understanding of the topic. These people are numerous, and provide lots of conflicting and confusing information at about the level of through of the latest popular science breakthrough article -- setting wrong expectations all along the way.