The thing is that it will eventually be made cheaper. That is how automation works. In the future once robots are cheap enough to replace trade jobs then the trade people will be replaced. I'm sorry if you don't wanna hear it that is just the truth.

Yes you do need human level AI. You seem very uneducated when it comes to synthetic media in general. Humans are the ones who use the AI to make the images kinda like using a pencil. Once AI image generators become viable which I'm guessing will happen in 8-12 years. Then it will be normalized as a tool like any other. A AI who have to be human level to independently create art like a human does with all the complexity that it requires. AHI is long ways off 60-150 years.