If I were confident it were AI as the cause I'd be seriously tempted to buy right now

Take Adobe for example: they're getting pummeled and there's no way it's due to AI

No-one's building an in-house Photoshop clone to replace them

AI also isn't letting any competitors in. Geez if it were as easy as cloning their product you'd have a mile high mountain of VC money to fund it even pre-AI

Code has never been much of a barrier to entry

Do you have a theory what the cause is then? The market moves and pundits write a story to match. There is no telling whether it's right or wrong.

The gate opens. The gate closes. It does not "help".