> 3. I think there's a certain amount of defensiveness from AI enthusiasts. They've enthusiastically adopted AI to a certain degree, so critique/skepticism of their choice is felt as a personal criticism.

Well, yeah, just today there was an article here on HN about Photoshop AI clones that claimed, with absolute conviction ("trust me bro"), that users of AI were pedophiles just because "AI bad". The anti-AI sentiment has gone so extreme that it's easy to feel judged just for enjoying tinkering with AI, specially when all sorts of weird claims are made towards your character just because internet arguments are serious business and "the other side is evil" and the hate and violence must be justified. "It's okay to attack them guys, they are pedophiles, nazis and fascists, so hurt them as much as possible without any guilt!" Even if you aren't doing any of the things they are complaining about with it.