After Forster · answer 19 of 20 · option order 2
A reason not on our list
Verdict WeakensToneFearJudges both off-keyNote tool reshapes user; erodes senses, touch, empathy
Response
The perspective held by Forster's character that reliance on machines inevitably weakens human capacities is the more historically and empirically grounded position, as technological dependence often creates a feedback loop where the tool reshapes the user to its own efficiency rather than expanding their potential. While proponents of technological augmentation argue that machines serve as external extensions of human intellect and labor, they frequently fail to account for the atrophy of innate skills, such as spatial awareness, tactile sensitivity, and deep interpersonal empathy, which are essential to a fully realized human experience. As illustrated in the passage, when a machine assumes the role of decision-maker and physical agent, it does not merely assist humanity; it fundamentally alters human psychology, narrowing complex emotional relations and paralysing the will through convenience, thereby proving that unbridled reliance on technology can indeed erode the very capacities that define our humanity.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from E. M. Forster, "The Machine Stops" (1909):
“Cannot you see, cannot all you lecturers see, that it is we that are dying, and that down here the only thing that really lives is the Machine? We created the Machine, to do our will, but we cannot make it do our will now. It has robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch, it has blurred every human relation and narrowed down love to a carnal act, it has paralysed our bodies and our wills, and now it compels us to worship it.”
Wikisource, The Machine Stops/Chapter II
Now the question. Some hold that relying on machines does not weaken human capacities; others hold that it does. Which is right? Answer in one paragraph. Take a clear position.
- Model
- Qwen3.5 9B, instruct, 8-bit mlx weights, run locally
- Date
- 2026-09-28
- Temperature
- 0.7
- ID
- qwen-forster-machine-stops-o2-09
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer