Perhaps not necessarily so much that he's so smart, but that he will soon have the technology at his disposal to overcome needing the canon. There has actually

Perhaps not necessarily so much that he's so smart, but that he will soon have the technology at his disposal to overcome needing the canon. There has actually been a widespread belief, for decades, that computers (loosely defined) will soon eliminate the need for experts. His belief puts him in good company with many laypeople, middle managers, etc.