@timnitGebru I talked to a very smart friend of mine who is in this space. I told him how current approaches (LLMs and friends) are a dead end and we need to go down a different path. Told me I'm too late and AGI will be here in a couple years. That's why I don't think it's all a grift for researchers, I think some drank their own kool-aid.
Or maybe to be the best grifter, you have to believe your own magical thinking.