I agree. It's a tool and it has its uses. I simply think this current decade has had a lot if "everything is a nail" approach to it. With gdp being used to hide a massive slowdown and contraction on the labor market and the rest of the "real" economy.

I think the modern indicator is how GDP growth last year would have been almost entirely flat had it not been for the massive amounts of AI spending. Something that as of now (regardless of thoughts of long term job aspects) is only constrainting the material market.

I don't fault the author for that usage because I know they are basically using the same language such policy makers use, and using it to disprove a really odd (but common) usage of GDP as this way to measure long term prosperity.