Things to think about in the ongoing discussion...
1.
Cameras are tools, not a definition of who we are. There's room for both DSLR and dMILC cameras, because each system is better suited for some types of photography than the other. A useful toolbox includes both a hammer and a screwdriver.
2.
As a photographer, my favorite camera is the one I'm currently using, be it a DSLR, dMILC, Phone, MF film, or whatever. When it is unable to deliver the results I am after, or not suited for the current task at hand, I switch to another camera which is more appropriate to what I am trying to do. I don't use a car to tow a 50,000 lb trailer, and I don't use a Mack truck to go to the store.
3.
Manufacturers are driving the demand for the products they want to (or still can) make, and devote many resources to creating demand for the products they want to (or still can) sell. And it's
not all about profit. There is a need for skilled workers with specialist knowledge, skills and experience to properly align and calibrate the focusing elements of DSLRs. Robots can't (yet) duplicate the precision a skilled technician brings to the process, especially when the work is a labor of pride and self-esteem for the camera builders, many—if not most—of whom, are at or beyond retirement age. Further complicating the situation is that younger workers with the same dedication, extensive skillsets, esoteric knowledge, and lifetime commitment necessary for hand producing extremely sophisticated, professional-level SLR cameras are virtually nonexistent. (If you don't think this is important, take your favorite camera apart and put it back together.)
dMILC production is much easier to automate since all the high-precision autofocus calibration technology is integrated into the mass produced sensor chip, and highly-specialized, highly-skilled craftsmanship is not required to calibrate it. Digital MILC design philosophy is relatively new, and is at about the same place DSLR design was in the late 2000s. I'm not saying that it will take 10 years for dMILCs to mature, but they are still growing and have already established a foothold in the mainstream of photography (which for the overwhelming majority of people in 2022 consists of their smartphone).
The discussion as it exists in the media and online discussions is largely missing the point: The reality is that the largest part of the camera market no longer exists, and has now become the smartphone market.
Apple designer Jonathan Ive once stated, "We're surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects." (After retiring from Apple, Ive formed a business partnership, LoveFrom, with Marc Newson of Pentax K-01 fame.)
see: Apple Designer Jonathan Ive Talks About Steve Jobs and New Products Quote: “We’re surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects. It’s tempting to think it’s because the people who use them don’t care — just like the people who make them. But what we’ve shown is that people do care. It’s not just about aesthetics. They care about things that are thoughtfully conceived and well made. We make and sell a very, very large number of (hopefully) beautiful, well-made things. our success is a victory for purity, integrity — for giving a damn.”
Ricoh/Pentax may be taking the best path going forward: resizing to meet the demand for the admittedly botique-level technology they can and want to produce, while embracing the reality that the camera market for Ma and Pa and the Kiddies taking family vacation snapshots at Disneyland is gone... perhaps forever. The good news is that there will continue to be a very active niche market for professional-level photographic equipment among Artists, Publications, News, Entertainment, Advertising, Portraits, Industrial, Medical and aficionados of fine photography.
Leitz (Leica), Hasselblad and others are aware of this, and for those willing and able to pay the fair cost for all the creativity, skill and quality necessary to develop and manufacture such elite products, there will continue to be top-shelf markets in photography, technology, automobiles and the rest of life. Successful manufacturers understand this. Leica and Hasselblad understand this. Mercedes and Rolls Royce understand this. Apple understands this.
Pentax, Nikon, Sony and Canon need to understand this too, if they want to survive this decade.