There's a chapter in "The Intelligence Illusion" by @baldurbjarnason.com that describes what he calls "the LLMentalist Effect" that lives rent free in my head. Amongst other things it explores why some technologists are so drawn to this. A version of it is here: softwarecrisis.dev/letters/llme...

That’s why CS are the most easily captured by this kind of scifi nonsense that spreads so easily on LW and SSC. They have no formal scientific OR mathematical training (at most they took automata theory) to encourage skepticism and they are easily flattered by visions of the world that center CS

Also - I can't believe we let the worst comedians on the planet spend *years* defining Freedom of Speech as a moral obligation to laugh at their bad jokes, and not as a protection against government censorship. You've been crying wolf for a while now gang, and a real wolf just got here! SPEAK UP!