My hypothesis is that a lot of high-status intellectuals are reflexively dismissing AI out of fear that it threatens their status, as AI poses to turn intellectual labor into a cheap commodity rather than the premium bespoke product they offer it as via their professorships, speaking fees and book sales.
Most criticism of AI has all the hallmarks of coping mechanisms. They seem to shift quickly between declaring it an ineffective parlor trick, and then say it's so good and effective that it poses a risk to the human spirit. There are a lot of legitimate criticisms I've seen, especially of OpenAI's potential regulation capture and misuse of models, but calling it all snake oil is hilariously naïve and seems more like a fear of change.
Most criticism of AI has all the hallmarks of coping mechanisms. They seem to shift quickly between declaring it an ineffective parlor trick, and then say it's so good and effective that it poses a risk to the human spirit. There are a lot of legitimate criticisms I've seen, especially of OpenAI's potential regulation capture and misuse of models, but calling it all snake oil is hilariously naïve and seems more like a fear of change.