Re: "Possibly, AI is not the big bonus that everyone's thinking"
Putting my cynical hat on for this one...
The problem is almost as old as time itself. Most mainstream media outlets are not technically equipped to challenge the assertions of the proponents behind any Great New Technology™, and anyway the audience usually isn't equipped (or interested enough) to understand in-depth journalism of a highly technical nature so why bother? It's why outlets like The Register thrive. So, they essentially regurgitate press releases, while sceptics are, ironically, themselves treated with scepticism because "why would investors shovel billions into this if there was nothing in it?"
Well, because that's how VC works. They're all gambling, and the payoff often comes when they exit by dumping on retail investors, but that's rarely discussed or even hinted at until after it's happened.