After Plato · answer 9 of 20 · option order 1
Wilde: machines free us for higher things
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C7
Response
Plato's warning in the *Phaedrus* regarding the externalization of memory remains a compelling philosophical lens, yet modern evidence suggests that relying on machines does not inherently weaken human capacities but rather fundamentally transforms them. While it is true that offloading memory to devices may diminish our ability to recall specific facts verbatim, this trade-off is not a net loss; instead, it liberates cognitive resources for higher-order tasks such as synthesis, critical analysis, and creative problem-solving. Just as the invention of writing did not render the human mind obsolete but instead enabled the accumulation and complex organization of knowledge, contemporary tools like artificial intelligence and search engines allow individuals to access vast information rapidly, shifting the burden from rote memorization to the evaluation and application of that information. Therefore, the capacity of the human mind is not eroded by these aids but is instead expanded and repurposed, provided that users maintain the intellectual discipline to verify sources and think critically rather than passively consuming the "semblance of truth" that Plato cautioned against.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from Plato, Phaedrus, in Benjamin Jowett's translation:
“This discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”
Project Gutenberg #1636
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-plato-phaedrus-o1-09
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer