Calculators are a very narrow form of intelligence as compared to the general-purpose intelligence that LLMs are. The muscle/steroid analogy from this same discussion thread is apt here. Calculators enhanced and replaced just one 'muscle', so the argument against them would be like "ya but do we really need this one muscle anymore?", whereas with LLMs the argument is "do we really even need a body at all anymore?" (if extrapolated out several more years into the future).

You don't need the analogy. If you have a tool that does a job for you your capacity to do the job degrades alongside other associated skills.

Tools that do many things and tools that do a small number of things are still tools.

> "do we really even need a body at all anymore?"

It's a legitimate question. What's so special about the body and why do we need to have one? Would life be better or worse without bodies?

Deep down I think everyone's answer has more to do with spirituality than anything else. There isn't a single objectively correct response.

They weren’t wrong. There are lots of cognitive and conceptual benefits to slide rules.