Since chat-based image generation took off, the designers I know have pretty mixed reactions. The easy part is real—no need to memorize a bunch of syntax, just tweak things by talking, and it speeds up the initial brainstorming a lot.
But from what I’ve seen, it saves your hands but drains your brain. Before, you’d spend time tweaking parameters; now, all that time goes into “it gave me five options, which one do I pick, and how do I tell it the subtle difference I want.”
The tool’s barrier got lower, but your taste and communication skills got amplified. The ease is an illusion—it just shifted where the grind is.