CEOs have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of shareholders. That's literally it. If "Metaverse" or "AI" makes line go up, they are legally obligated to talk about it.
The actual technology or product has nothing to do with the job of being a CEO the same way Mattel's accounting department doesn't need to understand where Skipper fits in the Barbie family tree.
One could make the argument that short term gains protect against future downturns, but yes you are exactly correct it's not any deeper than that.
The job of being a CEO does not even involve an understanding of the product beyond an ability to connect it to future stock speculation.