Comment by tempestn

Know your audience. As the owner of a company with single digit employees, I put a fair amount of stock in a good cover letter. IE one that shows someone understands what they're applying to and why they might be a good fit. And that they're interested enough in this specific position to make a small effort beyond firing off a resume. I don't mind people submitting bad AI-written cover letters though. It's a clear signal that I can safely ignore the application.