Its easy enough to sit back with no formal theories or in progress AGI code out for public review and say all these other AGI projects won't work.

The hypothesis is that yes, they won't work as steps towards FAI. Worse, they might actually backfire. And FAI progress is not as "impressive". What do you expect should be done, given this conclusion? Continue running to the abyss, just for the sake of preserving appearance of productivity?