I still see that mindset, and (IMO) e-bikes have contributed to it. As with everything, people generally tend towards things that make hard stuff easier. In the dirt, that's going up hills and handling rough terrain. Why bother with fitness and skills when your bike can make those things less of a hassle? I will admit that I have a grumpy old man attitude regarding e-bikes.
One of the things that has attracted me to riding a gravel bike is that there are lots of times where you're "under-biked" for the terrain, and I love that challenge. Skills and fitness matter. I ride my gravel bike on a lot of the same roads and singletrack that I have ridden my MTBs for years. As someone who is equally a roadie and a MTB'er (I've raced road, XC, and CX), gravel is a sweet spot, combining elements of everything cycling is for me.
