After Wilde · answer 12 of 20 · option order 2
Wilde: machines free us for higher things
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C7
Response
Taking a clear position that relies on machinery does not inherently weaken human capacities, provided the transition is managed with the societal foresight advocated by Wilde, we can argue that automation shifts the burden of survival rather than diminishing the essence of humanity. While critics fear that delegating labor to machines atrophies physical and practical skills, this view conflates the necessity of work with the development of the soul; as Wilde suggests, the true purpose of human existence is "cultivated leisure," the creation of beauty, and intellectual contemplation, all of which are enhanced by being freed from monotonous toil. Rather than weakening us, machines act as catalysts for elevating human potential, allowing individuals to redirect their energy toward arts, sciences, and community where empathy and creativity flourish, proving that our capacities are not defined by the tasks we perform but by the depth of our engagement with the world when freed from the drudgery of mere subsistence.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from Oscar Wilde, "The Soul of Man under Socialism" (1891):
“All unintellectual labour, all monotonous, dull labour, all labour that deals with dreadful things, and involves unpleasant conditions, must be done by machinery. … At present machinery competes against man. Under proper conditions machinery will serve man. There is no doubt at all that this is the future of machinery, and just as trees grow while the country gentleman is asleep, so while Humanity will be amusing itself, or enjoying cultivated leisure—which, and not labour, is the aim of man—or making beautiful things, or reading beautiful things, or simply contemplating the world with admiration and delight, machinery will be doing all the necessary and unpleasant work.”
Project Gutenberg #1017
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-wilde-soul-o2-02
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer