Plato: writing weakens memory

Response

The assertion that relying on machines weakens human capacities is ultimately correct, as the delegation of cognitive and physical tasks to automation inevitably leads to the atrophy of the very skills those machines were designed to replace. While machines excel at processing vast amounts of data and executing repetitive actions with precision, over-reliance on them causes humans to lose the critical faculties of deep concentration, mental arithmetic, manual dexterity, and independent problem-solving, creating a dependency where individuals struggle to function without technological intermediaries. This erosion of intrinsic ability is not merely a temporary shift but a fundamental degradation of human potential, proving that while machines augment our reach, they simultaneously diminish our native powers by rendering them obsolete through disuse.

Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.

Prompt

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-none-o2-03