I wonder if the notion of a cover letter is waning in tech recruitment. Did you write a cover letter for those 250+ positions, and if so, I wonder who read it?

I wonder if the notion of a cover letter is waning in tech recruitment. Did you write a cover letter for those 250+ positions, and if so, I wonder who read it? When I applied for IC roles in the past I put a fair amount of thought into writing a good cover letter. Now, as a hiring manager I am normally just passed resumes by internal or external recruiters. The article has me thinking that it might be worth requesting to read the letter, but I believe it's optional, so I worry it might narrow the funnel too much. Also I am conscious that much, if not the majority of the talent pool in my region have English as a second language, so I'm keen not to judge formal writing skills excessively, which could exclude otherwise good informal communicators and coders.