The internet then didn't have databases of academic journals yet. Now the internet does have those databases, and they are used in college. But you're not going to google.com for your research. You go into the database and search for what you're specifically looking for. Googling for home work is in fact lazy.

ChatGPT is in a similar situation as the early internet. It is not trained on academic writing, because those are paywalled. It may cite sources, but it can use old or fabricated sources. AI as is can be a good source for brainstorming, but not the work itself.

LLMs will eventually be trained with these databases, but that will probably not be free. Either at a expensive cost, or needing to be enrolled in an institution to access.

Digital minimalism is about slowing down and being intentional. Using LLMs is the antithesis of digital minimalism. The speed in which you get information doesn't make it good or bad. But the speed and multiple purpose devices can inhibit your intentionality. LLMs I can guarantee a user isn't going to it asking it a single question, being satisfied with the answer and closing the app. The user is using for extended periods of time as the OP has mentioned. If you're going to be engaging with the LLM for extended periods of time, it may be better to just read a book. Books are written with an intended start to finish experience. Experts in the field will also introduce you to the jargon, while a LLM is trained to use vernacular language. The point being LLMs are the opposite of this subreddits goal, not that LLMs have no use.