This "conversational knowledge" stuff is probably just a primitive and inefficient form of AI that may be superceded by other innovations. It need not have any

This "conversational knowledge" stuff is probably just a primitive and inefficient form of AI that may be superceded by other innovations. It need not have any real impact on new knowledge, any more than billions of ordinary people babbeling for hundreds of years. The service provider concern is understandable, but I think competition may keep this tech available to everyone who can reasonably afford it. We still have private computers and software despite the possibility for everything to be run from data centers and using proprietary subscription-based software.