Pro tip: life is pointless. So the machines are better at thinking about certain classes of things. So what? Either you enjoy thinking or you don't. Deciding whether you enjoy it or not based on a global scorecard is silly. Surely there are aliens out there somewhere that already figured out any given problem. Does that make finding the solution yourself any less satisfying?

I think what people actually want when they say this is to be the hero. They want the admiration. Which is fine, but at least he honest.

Yes! If their true goal was expanding the field, they would be excited. But if, instead, they saw this as some sort of a race to be the first to prove a conjecture, then their frustration is understandable. But it would be good if they had been honest about it from the get go; possibly they did not even realize it themselves.

I bet lots of them, who are in it for the love of the game, are truly excited by what is going on.