No, screen mirroring and AirPlay are not the same. Screen mirroring is a technology that allows you to duplicate content from one device to another device, usually from a laptop or smartphone to a television or projector. This is done by connecting the two devices using HDMI cables, an adapter, or Wi-Fi.
AirPlay is Apple's proprietary wireless streaming protocol that enables audio and video streaming between compatible devices. It works with all Apple products such as iPhone, iPad, Macs and some third-party speakers. To use AirPlay, users need to connect their devices either through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi network and then select AirPlay as the source of media output.