[throwaway_7274]

Here's an analogous situation that might clarify the dynamic somewhat:

1. Sam Altman: [tells a tall tale to raise 100 quintillion dollars]

2. Outside observer: "hey, these so-called AI researchers have been pulling the wool over our eyes! They've promised AGI for decades. Where's my robot maid?"

3. Researcher who's been making steady progress in a niche subfield of optimization algorithms at Nebraska State University for the last 20 years: "huh?"