Except actual studies objectively show efficiency gains, more with junior devs, which make sense. So no, it's not a "deception" but it is often overstated in popular media.
And anecdotes are useless. If you want to show me improved studies justifying your claim great, but no I don't value random anecdotes. There are countless conflicting anecdotes (including my own).
I find the opposite, the more senior the more value they offer as you know how to ask the right questions, how to vary the questions and try different tact’s and also observe errors or mistakes