competence testing

The First Time in History That Output Proves Nothing

assive stone block labeled OUTPUT suspended above collapsed institutional foundations marked CREDENTIALS, PROOF, MERIT, EVIDENCE, SKILL, and TRUST in classical architecture setting, illustrating the verification crisis where output no longer proves internal capability

For the first time in human civilization, correct output no longer proves internal capability. This is not hyperbole. Throughout all of recorded history, producing the right answer implied understanding. A mathematical proof required mathematical knowledge. A legal document required legal training. A working mechanism required engineering comprehension. The correlation was not perfect, but it was The First Time in History That Output Proves Nothing