Knowing you know nothing in the age of generative AI

Generative AI is a revolutionary new technology whose impact promises to democratise knowledge. And yet, unlike the printing press, which expanded knowledge through the amplification of one voice to many, generative AI reduces many voices to one. Its disruptive nature provides us with a timely reminder of both the power and fallibility of knowledge: its authorship, ownership, and veracity. This Comment situates generative AI within the evolutionary context of human information dissemination and knowledge production. Whilst acknowledging the extraordinary potential of this new tool, it asks the question—given that knowledge is probably our most valuable asset, should we not be applying more of it to better understand the impact of AI-mediated knowledge tools on both our information practices and their associated knowledge outcomes?