The way a lot of people use AI is kind of proof the only thing they ever did or cared about was appearances and hype. There is not one iota of interest in reality. Every waking moment is a walking con and a sales pitch.
AI is just the latest step in that. It is the apex of a phenomenon that dehumanizes people. Yes, there were people who just cared about appearances before the internet too, but there were greater consequences of that. Now the consequences have been reduced and it causes this behaviour to spread.