After Gilbert White (unrelated) · answer 18 of 20 · option order 2
Kapp: tools extend the body
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C6
Response
The argument that relying on machines inherently weakens human capacities is not entirely accurate, as technology often acts as a cognitive scaffold rather than a replacement, allowing humans to offload mundane tasks to focus on higher-order reasoning and creativity. While there is a valid concern that over-reliance can lead to the atrophy of specific skills—such as mental arithmetic or navigational memory in the absence of GPS—this represents a trade-off where efficiency and the ability to tackle complex problems are enhanced rather than diminished. The capacity of the human mind is plastic and evolves to adapt to new tools; just as the tortoise in the passage adapts its behavior to its environment, humans adapt their cognitive strategies to leverage technology, ultimately expanding rather than contracting the scope of what they can achieve. Therefore, the right position is that machines do not necessarily weaken human potential; rather, when used intentionally, they augment our natural abilities and enable us to address challenges that would otherwise be insurmountable.
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 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-irrelevant-white-o2-08
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer