You ask me, it's like the great quarantine to try and slow down covid

The idealists were hoping to stamp it out entirely but the reality was that covid was everywhere, and would inevitably become part of life. Quarantining served to make sure hospitals weren't overwhelmed (or rather, weren't MORE overwhelmed) until a vaccine could be made to try and get things under control

In the same vein, it makes sense to me to try and stifle AI stuff hopefully long enough to push for UBI and other social safety nets, so that when the lid comes completely off pandora's box, the damage to people's lives is mitigated and the benefits from the tech can be enjoyed in better conscience