AI Is a Celebrity Technology

A few days ago I had a conversation with a couple of reporters that were researching large language models for a super popular news TV program. I was explaining to them what makes AI attract so many eyes and interest and why it has become the buzzword of the decade. As I was talking, I came up with a good metaphor for anyone to understand why: AI is a celebrity technology. People--including politicians, investors, company executives, and researchers--treat AI and derivative applications differently than they treat other technologies with comparable upside (think: biotech, quantum computing, fusion energy, space travel). The amount of interest and attention AI gets doesn't correspond to the value it provides--as great as that may be.