I don't think those two things are comparable, really.

With SO copy/paste, you still were undertaking the mental exercise (and reward) of thinking through hard problems, researching solutions, and assembling it yourself.

With AI, you literally outsource most or all of that. The way some people "vibe code", they barely are engaged with any of that process, if at all.

I think about it like I do video games: it's a lot of fun to play them, and while it can be interesting to watch someone else play, it's just not the same.