The main difference is that a lot of practitioners using ML have very little advanced mathematical background. Let's be honest, you can't understand much of optimization without at least multivariable calculus and linear algebra.

I think this is a very bad thing, but basically what happens when things become "commoditized".

I feel it's the same with web developers who have no formal background in Computer Science. All these frameworks reinventing "paradigms" that have been studied since the 60's.