Because AI bros love the smell of their own farts and they get off by convincing other people that they should also smell their farts. (Only partly /s)
But more seriously, I’d say it’s just a symptom of the world we live in where there is tremendous pressure to commodify and commercialize everything in the most “efficient” way possible, including creativity.
I honestly find it fascinating that you view artists as the “rich kid narcissists” in comparison to AI proponents as more of an everyman. My personal experience is those the most engaged in AI stuff are college educated, often in STEM fields, silicon valley with money types, whereas the generally the working artists I know come from middle income or poor backgrounds. I don’t say this trying to attack you, or invalidate your experience, I’m genuinely curious. Would you be willing to elaborate on why you view them this way?