Media companies sell ads. Advertisers pay by impressions. Slopulist clickbait drives impressions.

At this point the term "AI" has been so diluted that it doesn't refer to generative image models or LLMs or traditional machine learning so much as it acts as a memetic sonic screwdriver, i.e. whatever journalists, pundits, founders, etc. need it to be. You can see how each party is wielding it in this specific instance quite clearly.

Exaggeration sells, for both pro and anti AI.