Judging from the proliferation of cell 'phone cameras on the market (worldwide), and the media companies eager to pay a few dollars for a mediocre snapshot, as opposted to several hundreds (or its worth) for a well-taken photograph by a knowledgeable, experienced, skilled fotog, I can understand why you ask the question. .
Yes, there have been a series of improvements in photography that made it possible for masses to enter the field, instructors and schools dedicated to photography, lab techs and camera/lens repair personnel and engineers, critics, writers, a slew of books authored and printed for sale... and that's not to mention other areas that have also brought about jobs to those not in the field of photography directly... truck drivers to deliver materials and parts to factories and to photography outlets, maintenance workers, security personnel, secretaries, bookkeepers, accountants, etc. There have been a steady progression of advancements, improvements and innovations from daguerreotypes to calotypes to dry plates to film (like the Brownie cameras that were the Point-and-Shoot cameras of their era, to rangefinders and eventually SLRs) and now digital technology with digital cameras and cell 'phone cameras that allows us to use our PCs and our wireless communication devices to store or share rather than enter a chemical darkroom for developing and printing our images. And now we have more people handling cameras than ever before in the history of photography and mankind.
But, it's very simple, anyone can paint a wall but extremely few can paint a masterpiece on canvas; industry does not and cannot stand still and soon, who knows, there may come a time when painting portraits may be machine-made. Remember, the great Master painters wasted much time grounding and mixing materials to make their paints, making their own brushes, often sanding wooden boards and stretching their own canvass, which they also had to prep before using... and today artists of all levels simply go to an art shop and buy their materials, equipment, tools and paints and have a vast variety to choose from, too. And even with the advancements in brush manufacturing, paint manufacturing, etc., even though we have more painters today (artists), we have fewer who can create an acknowledged, recognized Masterpiece!
Anyone can use a cell-phone, or a point-and-shoot camera to capture a crime in progress, a fire in progress, an accident, a spontaneous riot, government officials abusing their authority... the camera has become ubitquitous. Talent, skills, experience, knowledge... NOT ubiquitous. Still, we cannot stop progress (typewriters fell by way of the home PCs, right? There were companies that went out of business, and the workers lost jobs but most went into other fields. But we can now do so much with these modern-day computers and advanced programs that we couldn't do with typewriters). And communication has become almost instantaneous via the Internet, which became possible as a result of the PC. Today we even have pocket-sized computers we can walk around with!
The technological advancements, improvements and innovations now found in digital cameras have made it possible for KNOWLEDGEABLE fotogs to do a lot more and do it all quicker, too. It has made photography a ubiquitous and universal cultural phenomenon.
Personally, as an old photography enthusiast of over 40 years, it took me a while to accept the new digital technology that often befuddles and bewilders me, but I welcome the advancements wholeheartedly now.