[D] Am I wrong to think that contemporary most machine learning reseach is just noise?

A high school senior's viral post argues that contemporary machine learning research has become meaningless noise. They claim the field is flooded with papers chasing tiny benchmark improvements using pre-trained models, rather than building genuine intelligence from mathematical first principles. The post questions whether this approach creates durable expertise, suggesting researchers focused on fundamentals in math or complex systems will outlast the current AI hype cycle. It has sparked widespread debate online about research quality.