What's the same for photography and AI? How about the output, the product created. If a photo is indistinguishable from an AI-generated image, the thing that's the same is the IMAGE. Obviously the process is completely different, but if the output is the same, and the public cannot distinguish them, and the people who used to pay for one now pay for the other...

You're right that it is digital art, and I actually quite like it for many things. But when an illustration is 100% identical-looking to a photo, and a photo is hard to make and full of limitations and an illustration is easy (well, easier), why would you do a photo unless you wanted it hard, you wanted it limited, and you just wanted to do a photo for the sheer coolness of it? That's great for you -- but i promise you no client is going to say, "oh yes, spend more money on that and don't give me precisely what i need for this image." And the public will no longer look at amazing photos and be amazed because they can make something amazing themselves... yes, it's changed and forever.