If I block this with uMatrix, I'm likely permanently gated from whatever I'm trying to access. If Gitlab updates, I won't be able to access my repos, because they (for some reason) make me solve a reCAPTCHA before doing anything on my own repos.
Why do we want this version of the web again?
Your anger would be better directed at the bad actors who ruin things for you, like how you need to buy a lock for your door. How much time in your life has been wasted by slotting a key into a hole? Ugh, doesn't anyone know this isn't the world I asked for?
Just so you know, the more you protect your privacy, the more websites, everywhere, will have Recaptcha requires that you work for Waymo even though you do not want to work for them (you know, describing road signs, identifying potholes, finding traffic lights, etc).
Want some privacy? OK, waste 2-3 minutes every 10 articles and work for Google. Don't want to work for Google? OK, disable all privacy protection and you're good to go.
Paying a subscription to the website will, often, not even prevent Recaptcha from popping up.
That's dystopia, both feet in, but somehow it's OK because some "guys" are abusing the system o_0
But notice that you haven't suggested an alternative. You're just lamenting one of the few, generalizable, cheap resources a website operator has to avoid abuse in a world where it's only getting easier and easier for bad actors.
Your analysis is just as thorough as "but somehow it's OK to put locks on every door because some guys are abusing the system o_0?!" Food for thought: Is everyone encumbering their life with keychains for the fun of it? How do the trade-offs look? Do locks play any role beyond feeding the locksmith industry? What other options do people have and how do they compare with buying a $17 lock for their front door and installing it with a few screws?
To read some articles, I am required to help Google improve its self driving company (Waymo "identify cars in the picturs", its OCR algo (Google Books, "write the two words"), its Maps service ("find house numbers" on Street View), etc. This free work makes Google increasingly competitive vs the alternatives, so Google can continue offering "free" services (like Recaptcha) and further compel users to work for them. You simply don't have a choice.