splats augment 3D scenes, they don't replace them. i've seen them used for AR/VR, photogrammetry, and high-performance 3D. going from splats to a 3D model would be a downgrade in terms of performance.
Yea, someone can say, “Look, we have just created the first color computer and it displays images. Look at this first ever real life photo on this digital screen!” There will always be the people who ask, “Yeah, but does it run Photoshop?”