I decided to actually look it up, and according to an etymology dictionary:
"1650s, "tutelary spirit," from Fr. génie, from L. genius (see genius); used in French translation of "Arabian Nights" to render Arabic jinni, singular of jinn, which it accidentally resembled, and attested in English with this sense from 1748."
On the other hand, my above post absolutely deserved to be downvoted because it is entirely unclear that I meant "The same root as 'malin génie' (evil genius in the 16th century sense of 'genious' as an inspirational spirit) as opposed to demon.
On the other hand, my above post absolutely deserved to be downvoted because it is entirely unclear that I meant "The same root as 'malin génie' (evil genius in the 16th century sense of 'genious' as an inspirational spirit) as opposed to demon.