After Wilde · answer 13 of 20 · option order 2
Wilde: machines free us for higher things
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C7
Response
Relying on machines does not inherently weaken human capacities, as the critical distinction lies in shifting the purpose of human life from mere survival to the cultivation of intellect and creativity. While critics argue that automation may erode essential skills or lead to atrophy, this perspective overlooks Wilde's profound insight that labor, particularly when monotonous or dreadful, should be delegated to machinery so that humanity can freely pursue higher intellectual and aesthetic endeavors. Rather than diminishing human potential, the strategic use of technology liberates our cognitive faculties, allowing us to excel in areas that require empathy, innovation, and contemplation—capacities that are often stifled by the drudgery of manual toil. Ultimately, if society can be reorganized to ensure machines handle necessary unpleasant tasks, reliance on them strengthens rather than weakens the human spirit by enabling a life dedicated to beauty, learning, and admiration.
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-o2-03
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer