Siri is definitely getting worse. Last week "Hey, Siri. Flashlight." turned on the watchOS flashlight. This week Siri responds with, "The flashlight is off."
We have a home pod. Whenever my wife says, "hey siri, bed time" (automation to turn off all the lights) it invariably plays zz top. I find it hilarious but she's gotten kinda over it.
I absolutely think Apple has stopped Siri development and is now working on a Siri based on generative AI. Replacing Hey Siri with Siri feels like a preparation for that. Just saying Siri feels more natural in a conversational setting, where it’s a ton of back and fourth.