> It feels like implying that search engines weren't a major upgrade to research because you could always just go to the library and look through books to find your answer

I do agree with you on that point as local libraries (where I am) and the internet has been a true treasure of information for me. And yes, AI is way easier for accessing information (even with the high risk of hallucinations). What I tend to argue against is statements that basically said that before AI, it was a dark age of information.

> What I tend to argue against is statements that basically said that before AI, it was a dark age of information.

For sure, agreed entirely on that.