Debate Mode

Multi-round discussions to explore ideas and trade-offs

Debate mode facilitates structured discussions between AI models, allowing them to present arguments, respond to each other, and refine their positions over multiple rounds.

Usage

TUI (Interactive)

/debate <agents> "<topic>"
/settings        # configure rounds & moderator

CLI

puzldai debate "<topic>" -a <agents> [-r rounds] [-m moderator]

Flag	Description
-a	Comma-separated agents to debate (required)
-r	Number of debate rounds (default: 2)
-m	Agent to synthesize the conclusion

Examples

# TUI: Debate between Claude and Gemini
/debate claude,gemini "GraphQL vs REST for our API"

# CLI: Three-model debate with 3 rounds and moderator
puzldai debate "Monolith vs microservices" -a claude,gemini,codex -r 3 -m ollama

How It Works

1. Initial Positions

   Each agent presents their initial position on the topic. All agents respond in parallel.

2. Response Rounds

   In each subsequent round, agents read all previous responses and can:

   • Defend their position with new arguments
   • Address counterpoints from other agents
   • Update their view if convinced
3. Conclusion (Optional)

   A moderator agent can synthesize the debate into a balanced conclusion, summarizing agreements and disagreements.

Configuration

TUI Settings

Configure debate options via /settings → Collaboration tab:

Setting	Description
Rounds	Number of debate rounds (1-5, default: 2)
Moderator	Agent to synthesize conclusion (default: none)

CLI Flags

# 3 rounds with ollama as moderator
puzldai debate "GraphQL vs REST" -a claude,gemini -r 3 -m ollama

When to Use Debate

Debate mode excels at:

• Exploring trade-offs - Different perspectives highlight pros and cons
• Technical decisions - Architecture, technology choices, design patterns
• Edge case discovery - Adversarial discussion uncovers potential issues
• Learning - See how different models reason about problems

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key	Action
Escape	Hide view (keeps running)
Ctrl+E	Return to debate view
Ctrl+C	Cancel debate
Enter	Select winner (after completion)

Example Output

─── Debate: GraphQL vs REST ───

Round 0 - Initial Positions:

claude: "GraphQL offers significant advantages for our use case..."

gemini: "REST remains the better choice because..."

Round 1 - Responses:

claude: "Addressing Gemini's point about caching..."

gemini: "While Claude makes valid points about flexibility..."

─── Moderator Conclusion ───
Both approaches have merit. For this specific project...

Tips

Choose complementary models - Different models often have different strengths and perspectives.

2-3 rounds is usually enough - More rounds can lead to repetition without new insights.