*I don't know if 'Slavic' is the right ethnic term, Kirill, and if it isn't I apologise. I just didn't want to assume nationality given the current environment in that region.
I'm Russian, so 'Slavic' works, lol
As for AI, I don't consider it to be the only tool, just a very powerful one. The sketches of new scenes are exactly that - just sketches, I wanted to see how would it look. The end result would be much more polished.
You can compare the early version of the updated Hermione's face to the latest one:
You can't get that with just AI, at least not at the moment. Well, technically you can't get the first two images with just AI also, but I hope you get my point, manual work is still the king.
As for consistency between the images — again, I'll do it the way I did it before AI era — manual editing/painting, AI is a new 'brush' sort of speak.
Regarding DAZ, I've been using it for years, helps a lot with creating consistent characters (for obvious reasons), but texturing and lighting are the key for good looking renders (not to mention camera work and composition), and those are the skills that can only be developed over time.
There are some really nice presets for textures and lighting out there, so it can make the life easier, but would still require work.
So, I guess, my point being is that AI and DAZ are tools with their inherent capabilities and limitations. One can blame 'bad' results on a tool, but I prefer to think about it as a lack of skill.
In the first case you are 'doomed' to having shitty results just because the tool sucks, while in the second case you can always learn and improve your work.