They fix a problem: the mutual incompatibility between software. "Free software" is not the answer, as it's used today: for example, the canonical Free Software OS, Linux, is fragmented into many mutually incompatible ABIs.
We need to tear down barriers between software. Barriers between languages, frameworks and OS ABIs. I don't have a good plan , but think it is the true solution. LLMs paper over these incompatibilities, and in doing so, provide value. Imperfect, but good enough until we destroy the barriers properly.
Example: Why am I using an LLM for my rust code? Because it is taking code that solves my problem, but in Python, C, or papers, and translating in a way compatible with the rust dialect I use. The problem is solved multiple times, but not in a way I can use without a translation layer. LLMs provide that.