Intelligence was always relatively cheap. You can pick up a phone and get answers for free in most academic settings.

You've not seen how they react to noobs asking physics questions, I think.

Even when you've got an interesting idea, if you're an enthusiastic amateur who don't yet know enough to phrase the question right but does actually know the basics, they'll put you in the same category as the people who think healing crystals can power hyperspace telepathy with Anubis: "oh no not another one".

LLMs have infinite patience, but unfortunately come (came?) with too much sycophancy, giving even more people far too much confidence.

(within limits)