Yes, there is some truth to it, but the practical use is fairly limited. The main point is tray-developing sheet film, especially large-format sheets processed individually, where development by inspection can help match development to each exposure.

Historically, this was much easier with orthochromatic film, which is not sensitive to red light. Panchromatic films are normally sensitive to red, so inspecting them under a red safelight is risky. The claim with pyro developers is that, partway through development, the film can become sufficiently desensitized that limited inspection may be possible. That does not make it generally “safe” in the way ortho film is safe under red light.

So yes, the idea is plausible, but it’s mainly useful in niche workflows: single-sheet tray processing where you want to judge progress visually. That was more relevant in large-format practice than in modern roll-film processing.

As for the point: being able to see the sheet at all can help handling and timing, and in some workflows it allows partial development by inspection. But your caution is justified—dim safelight viewing is limited, and the benefit may not outweigh the risk unless you specifically use a process and film combination known to tolerate it.