There are aspects of photography which have become less difficult. We don't need to bring a cart, mix explosive chemicals with dangerous fumes, paint them on a glass plate, try to keep dust off of them while we load them in a camera to make an exposure before it dries but after we have carefully moved the lens back and forth to get it in focus, being careful to have the aperture shut down and to avoid light getting onto the plate before or after exposure.
The technology is constantly evolving to make our tasks "easier." Sometimes, too much so. "You press the button, we do the rest" was an old Kodak add for the Brownie.
Technology which means I can do less work and not have to get dust on my plates--yes, please! A box which takes away control and frequently makes poor choices--I'll pass. AI technology that competently removes noise that was introduced by the sensor--sounds great if it does its job correctly.
But there is still a lot of room for creativity and my guess is there will continue to be a space for creativity as the technology proves itself capable of certain tasks, our efforts will move to the spaces where they serve our vision better using the best of the available technology.
Step one is determining which of the automated features help make better pictures and which are better avoided. Step two is decide how you wish to express your vision. Step three is do the work.
Looking back at older articles and letters to the editor in older photo publications, you can see that this is a (relatively) old conversation in photography.
