In some ways, the article reminds me of the documentary "Helvetica" about the eponymous font. In the film, font designers are both for and against, some calling it sterile and corporate/big-brother and others saying that it's about democratizing and humanizing fonts.

I'm gonna lean in favor of "this is the best outcome for everyone", even if it possibly screws specialized design roles (such as Icon creators). Google and Apples approach to design makes good sense (to me at least), as it significantly lowers the bar for what is needed to create a "good looking" app. Perhaps it's a more sterile look, but my apartment also has plain white walls for a reason.