AMP is about getting into the carousel search results, and if AMP wasn't the only way to do that, we wouldn't feel forced to use it.
To just download text and images I use www.outline.com, but there are lots of ways to accomplish this.
Of course, google could have just favored really small/fast site that worked well on mobile... but this way they get the extra lock in.
That's significantly different than debloating your website and remaining in control of the traffic, but you don't receive the SEO boost as a consequence. Even if you make your website faster than it would be if you were using AMP (which is not that difficult to achieve), you're still being punished for not giving control to Google.
I don’t think google should be in charge of that, especially if they use search results as a way to force adoption.
Countless posts have been made by site operators who needed to adopt AMP to remain competitive in google search results.