When I was five my father brought home a little store-bought plastic magic trick that appeared to convert one silver dollar into two.

The magic trick was cool, but my thoughts immediately went to more practical matters. We were going to be immeasurably wealthy! I just needed some time with the magic box and we've be rolling in silver.

Generative AI feels like magic, too, and a lot of people seem to think it'l be an endless font of epistemic wealth.

By five, I had already learned the hard way.