I think that's all we have in terms of determining consciousness.. if something can convince you, like another human, then we just have to accept that it is.
this view is really limited. like I said, people who will do the work... will. You are thinking of the majority of lazy people who aren't producing anything of real value in the design/art world already.
you act as if the human population has no agency to choose what they want? This will be another tool for good and bad. People will make beautiful things the world hasn't seen before, and others will use it for propaganda. just like all things we touch
do you think taking a photo of something is skipping to the end goal of painting? no. it will just be used as a tool for more creativity for the people who will do the work.