When they keep coming up, they have meaning. Also, bringing up where this is happening with increasing frequency is not anecdotal....giving multiple references outside of my own is the opposite of anecdotal. It's data. But if you want
sources...and more
sources
If companies are using it to replace people, it's literally not worthless or useless. It's got a $ value assigned that is driving those companies to make that decision to use it over people.
DTRPG is not the entertainment industry. Or even the RPG industry.