@glyph@mastodon.social Among the more Linked-In-Brain people I know, the “AI is real” mantra originates mostly in AI being hip and new and not part of the old paradigm. They have no idea what it actually is, of course, but the public pledging of allegiance allows them to associate themselves with something they consider cutting-edge. It’s not a response to any overt criticism, just the most obvious thing you can say to position yourself without revealing how little you know.