As a solo game dev, I'm quite happy with this change. I'm a programmer & musician by trade, art is definitely my weak point.
I don't think paying artists for their work is gonna go away any time soon, there's just so much that can't be done well by AI right now (UI, rigging, animation, particle effects). However I think allowing AI assets will enable many new types of games to be financially viable. Yes, that will include low effort asset flips, but I think it will also include unique games made by developers with a powerful, singular vision.
I don't think paying artists for their work is gonna go away any time soon, there's just so much that can't be done well by AI right now (UI, rigging, animation, particle effects). However I think allowing AI assets will enable many new types of games to be financially viable. Yes, that will include low effort asset flips, but I think it will also include unique games made by developers with a powerful, singular vision.