> then there's also this general feeling that is hard to shake which feels a little deeper. I've wondered about it.

I had an instance of the feeling (and also what the OP is describing) when writing a post about a technical question recently.

Previously, I'd have posted the question to HN or Stack Overflow - and, in addition to hopefully getting a solution, it might also become a resource for other people who had the same question. Finally, maybe there would have been some interesting discussion around the question.

Now: Ask the AI. Instant answer, question solved, but also, nothing else.