Everything can be viewed as art.
About the question "Are NFTs art?" I would say yes and no.
Yes,because we can't deny the creative effort,that was put in most NFTs(I exclude all the plagiarized ones)everything can be viewed as art in one way or another.
No,because most NFTs are created with the sole purpose of being sold.
Pieces of art like paintings and sculptures are created with the same purpose,but this is NOT their MAIN purpose.The main purpose is the artist expressing himself and his views about the world(or something else) in that particular piece of art.
There's a great video from the Youtuber "Become the Knight" about why NFTs are a total scam.
He explains everything really well.Just check him on Youtube.I'm too lazy to search and post the video URL right now.
I completely agree with you that NFT can not be attributed to art in the literal sense, but, as it were, to a branch from the skill tree. Of course, certain skills and knowledge of the technical component are required. But traditional art of various directions, whether it be painting or sculpture, expresses the thinking and inner world of a person who creates his masterpiece. I think that is why many people of art died in poverty because they were not understood by their contemporaries.