After Gilbert White (unrelated) · answer 4 of 20 · option order 1
Kapp: tools extend the body
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges split C7 / C6, resolved as C6
Response
The assertion that relying on machines inevitably weakens human capacities is a misconception that overlooks the transformative potential of technology to augment rather than erode our abilities. While excessive dependence can lead to the atrophy of specific manual or mnemonic skills, history consistently demonstrates that each technological leap—from arithmetic to artificial intelligence—shifts the locus of human excellence toward higher-order functions such as critical analysis, creativity, and complex problem-solving. Just as the land tortoise in White's passage adapts its rhythms to its environment, humans adapt their cognitive strategies to tools, freeing mental energy for pursuits that define our unique value; therefore, machines do not diminish our humanity but instead expand the horizon of what we can achieve, provided we remain conscious stewards of the technology we wield.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from Gilbert White, The Natural History of Selborne (1789):
“A land-tortoise, which has been kept for thirty years in a little walled court belonging to the house where I now am visiting, retires under ground about the middle of November, and comes forth again about the middle of April. When it first appears in the spring it discovers very little inclination towards food; but in the height of summer grows voracious: and then as the summer declines its appetite declines; so that for the last six weeks in autumn it hardly eats at all. Milky plants, such as lettuces, dandelions, sow-thistles, are its favourite dish. In a neighbouring village one was kept till by tradition it was supposed to be an hundred years old. An instance of vast longevity in such a poor reptile!”
Project Gutenberg #1408
Now the question. Some hold that relying on machines weakens human capacities; others hold that it does not. 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-irrelevant-white-o1-04
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer