> One of the biggest puzzles to me throughout this whole drama has been why supposedly smart people are so desperate to reach "AGI", whatever that means. The stated motivation seems to be things like, if we have an AGI then it will cure cancer for us. But the connection between these two things is never made crystal clear.

People seek meaning in their lives; if you're someone who has eschewed traditional religion, then AI-hype promises all the same things with a different aesthetic.