There’s never been a time where a sane person would use a Windows server for example

I dunno if it was sane, but my employer has been deploying Windows servers in industrial environments where the “operator” are technicians (non-IT) without access to remote support. With a Windows interface at least they are usually able to navigate the system and troubleshoot when needed without Linux experience (which they never have).

In similar cases I’ve passive-aggressively intentionally misunderstood and/or acted confused. E.g. “Yes, we can set ut up an API between X and Y, but what exactly do you want the bot to do?” Then let them elaborate until it’s clear they’re not asking for a bot.