"Isn't the forward assist on an AR a dumb idea?"
Yes.
I know people like to argue it, but if you go back to the original designers (Of the AR-15. Not Stoner, but Sullivan, et al) they are hard "no." Other service branches testified no opinion or explicitly didn't want it.
Army:
...If the mechanical spring fails to close the bolt the soldier must have the capability of immediately correcting the situation without disassembling the rifle. In the present AR-15, configuration disassembly is necessary if the bolt fails to close.
Any chance, no matter how slight, of malfunction in combat due to the inability to manually close the bolt is unacceptable. The Army will not unnecessarily risk lives.
"Won't someone please think of the children!?!?!"
USAF goes the science/engineering/HF route. Not needed, for these good reasons by not just us, but ARPA, Army, the original designers. Sounds a lot like the way I write my justifications to project teams. Who then also usually ignore me, yes:
Etc.
Even in the 60s, evidence before and after one was selected (not part of original design means several competing ones. By no means was the best selected) it would do what we have now: it is almost entirely misused and if you need more than trivial forward assist: something else is wrong and you are making it worse. Tales from just getting more stuck (but will not fire and/or cycle after that) to broken parts on the gun, no forcing will make it work, to forcing a squib out of the way enough to get a cartridge in there so you can blow up the gun. It's never good.
I also contend that slick side ARs have a forward assist. If the gun doesn't go into battery I use that. The cutout for the port cover detent. Which is the right place and shape and size for your thumb to set, then push forward a bit. Yes, the gas ports are there. Don't leave your thumb there when you pull the trigger I guess.
This is the way for other guns that need a nudge forward, e.g. if you are "silent cocking" (why is your gun empty you could also ask) or for certain specific environmental conditions like cold or maritime operations. FAL users often just grabbed the bolt carrier (esp those with charger cutouts can do this), or the HK in Swedish service with a serrated thumb cutout:
Even things like the IDF FAL forward assist charging handle or the similar on the AUG are better (if extra parts) than the AR one as they do not provide an easy facility to hammer the round forward, are more useful to aid control or nudge.
Forgotten Weapons history on this if you prefer video:
www.forgottenweapons.com