Why is AI/ML chasing the exotica of things such as image diffusion?

[MarkBruns]

Maybe it's not esoterica ... maybe [even if it looks like esoterica now] it might someday lead to something useful.

It SEEMS that the AI/ML profession is in a situation common to medicine, ie why is the AI/ML profession rewarding people for publishing articles on exotica and ignoring the blocking-and-tackling fundamentals of UNDERSTANDING THE USE CASE ... is this why something one might think would be simple, wgAI/ML music recommendation engines, not only SUCK ... but SUCK HARD.

We have seen this play out in Big Medicine and Big Pharma ... doctors, as a general rule don't help people to get well ... they help people feel as if they are doing something... while people are ignoring what they must do ... like hydration, fasting [to regain appetite control, removing bad habits, eg excess alcohol or inhalation, practical nutrition improvement, exercise, sleep, and meditation or other mind self-control disciplines to address stress mgmt [rather than easy button diversions or mind pollutants].