I'm not saying this is the case here, but every time I've been in internal or promotional videos related to my work, I've been performing for a camera. I'm not playing a theater character, but it's also not what you'd get if you dropped by my desk and asked me the same questions. Calling it acting might seem strong. But it's not not acting. So it's acting.
Does the general principle "we're always performing, in a particular costume, for our audience" help confirm the excited marine biologist desperately wanted to keep their job in spite of a "nothing that's not AI" mandate, so they made up some bullshit?
Separately, could invoking it anytime someone appears excited be described as distrustful of human sincerity or integrity?
After working through these exercises, my answers are no/yes, which leaves me having to agree its clearly cynical. (because "define:cynical" returns "distrustful of human sincerity or integrity")