Large language models are a true breakthrough and they are, in my view, much more useful than ChatGPT. They allow for some fundamental NLP tasks that can then be used as building blocks for truly intelligent systems.
Symbolic AI failed because it could not deal with complexity and fuzziness. Statistical learning can deal with complexity and fuzziness, but it is very limited when it comes to rigorous reasoning.
I believe that true AI will combine both ideas, and I have a strong hunch that neurosymbolic approaches will be crucial, but nobody really knows yet how to create a true neurosymbolic approach that seamlessly combines the strengths of symbolic and statistical approaches. My fear is that we throw the baby out with the bath water when people are finally fed up with ChatGPT hype, and then we will have to wait a couple decades before the next serious attempt at AI is made.