WTF does a PM actually do?

[Dzmitry Hryb _Mushroom Marketing_]

Remember this viral thing about DJs from a while ago?

I couldn't help but imagine a Project Manager here as another severely undervalued profession.

For years, other people have been calling them mean names like 'glorified secretaries', 'guys who majored in business management because they had no clue what they wanted to do', or even 'idiots who think that their task is to create Jiras and assign 5 hours to it.' (These are real quotes from Reddit, btw.)

The DJs actually made a strong case and defended their skills quite successfully. What about the PMs, then?

For a job that focuses on other people's efficiency, what working ways do you have to prove your personal impact on the business? What parts of your work would you consider the most useful for others, and why?

Is it even a viable career path in 2026, given that the AI-driven convergence can collapse multiple jobs into one? After all, every team leader does have at least a part of a PM's responsibilities, regardless of their function (myself included as a marketing lead/manager).

I'm highly interested in your takes and opinions.

Thanks!