[xiaolingxiao]

That's not necessarily true. The difference between a brilliant postdoc working in a hot field who never made it and a tenured PI is the willingness to play the game. So if the game is filled with scammers exaggerating the value of their models, or overfitting to dubious metrics, then these PIs will go right along with it. In this case the con is at the systemic level, so that depresses the "honesty" of each individual across the board, regardless of their personal conduct. The other thing to consider is that in academia your PI is your boss, your principle source of professional reputation, and your HR. So there is no barrier between you and his/her human nature. Therefore pick wisely.