Working on papers submitted to peer-reviewed scientific journals is not marketing but research.

If SIAI wants to build some credibility then it needs some publications in scientific journals. Doing so could help to ensure further funding and development of actual implementations.

I think that it is a very good idea to first formulate and publish the theoretical basis for the work they intend to do, rather than just saying: we need money to develop component X of our friendly AI.

Of course a possible outcome will be that the scientific community will deem the research shallow, unoriginal or unrealistic to implement. However, it is necessary to publish the ideas before they can be reviewed.

So my take on this is that SIAI is merely asking for a chance to demonstrate their skills rather than for blind commitment.