I mean you do have a point - it's true that these days, it's much easier to get the data / or local data for any given niche. As it doesn't necessarily rely on your area of expertise (Ai research).
So if I'd want to target insurance options in Pereira, Colombia - I may be able to get the keywords, options, or sponsors and scrape something together relatively fast, and it wouldn't matter whether I care for it or not.