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>It doesn't mean AI is a con, there's just a tendency to exaggerate and make hyperbolic claims to sell.

"Con", in this context, is short for confidence. A con-man is a confidence man.

"a swindler who exploits the confidence of his victim"

It's a con.

You've got to distinguish the tech from the companies and salesmen. Like in the dot com bubble the internet was real and important but a lot of the companies were cons.

Likewise here AI is real and important but a lot of the companies are cons.

Sure you'll find folks that perhaps literally believe that AI is bigger than fire and the wheel, or whatever. Or business leaders that more cynically try to ride the hype wave with their own customers.

I think the key here is actual usage and adoption. If early adopters (marketers and coders) keep using the new tools for real work over the long term then it's a positive signal.

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