Sometimes I don't really "get" the art, but everything about this is [chef's kiss].
I say this in slight jest as someone who does amateur / semi-pro photography. Yes, the barrier to entry to generative AI is lower than the barrier to entry for photography. Just like the barrier to entry for photography is (skill wise) lower than the barrier to entry for painting. That is completely unrelated to the high end / skill ceiling. You can use generative AI in creative ways. Just like you can use a box that instantly captures a scene with the press of a button in creative ways.
In some endeavors, humans doing it is the entire point.
Generative AI may replace the pictures that hang on the walls of hotel rooms, but I don't see it coming for the photographs in peoples homes, or even art galleries. At least, not at any real scale.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.... yes? Have you actually played around with photo generation tools? You can absolutely generate novel images.
I don't want to see art from someone who has spent a hundred thousand hours looking at the real world.
I want to see art from someone who has spent a hundred thousand hours looking at AI medium output
For you see, the second artist will be quite mad. The first artist is just a pretentious fake who has not destroyed their own mind.