>> Ultimately, it is pragmatic for businesses to behave this way,
This is how I realized we truly are in an AI arms race. Literally every app or website or tool I use now forcibly pushes their "AI features" or "AI assistant" on you instead of just letting you use their products the way it makes sense for you. Stripe just confirmed what OP was saying. Poorly built, poorly thought out software is now the norm not the exception any more.
If you don't win at AI, you will die.
That is the reality for most (software) businesses.