By that logic, anything that is predictive is curve fitting, including entire academic fields like physics and climatology. You could say that all automation is curve fitting. I don’t think there’s much to be gained by being that reductive.

From a technical standpoint, it’s not correct analogy either, because it assumes you have a curve to fit. What curve is language? What’s curve is images? No answer, because there isn’t one. Deep learning is about modeling complex behaviors, not curve fitting. Images and language for instance are based in social and cultural patterns and not intrinsic curves to be fit.

At best, it’s an imprecise statement. But I’d disagree entirely.