I share the same sentiments.
Apex is a great game, but it was the lore that separated this game from others.
Simply put... lore is great marketing. Especially for the kids and females. My wife hasn't played one game of Apex, but she loved the lore. The fact that EA/Respawn has given up on the "lore audience" of the game is appalling.
Lore was supposed to get better not worse. I don't care if they use A.I., just do something. They started the lore but don't want to continue it. They have to notice the declining viewership on their YouTube channel, which means they're choosing this route.