What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
If your AI “won’t disagree,” the fix may not be a more forceful prompt. Ahmed El Otmani says his early attempts at generating short debates between brands produced polite exchanges that quickly converged. His most important design change was to give each debater a separate context and manage the turns outside the individual model responses. That is a useful design account, not a controlled demonstration that the approach works for every model or task.
Why did the debate bot keep agreeing?
El Otmani describes building DebaterX, a web tool that generates short debate videos between brands or mascots. In his early generations, the speakers sounded agreeable and drifted toward consensus instead of making a convincing case against each other. He treated that as a product-design problem: the system needed to preserve distinct positions across the exchange.
He attributes models’ tendency to seek agreement in part to assistant training and reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). That is his explanation, not a causal finding established by the account: it reports no systematic model comparison, measurements, or cited study. The same caution applies to his observations that prompt-only approaches, aggressive instructions, and higher temperature did not solve the problem in his experiments. He does not specify a reproducible test protocol, model versions, or sample size.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhat changes did El Otmani report making?
Separate each debater’s context
Rather than asking one model response to sustain both sides in a shared conversational setup, he gave each debater its own context, persona, goals, and assumptions. The design aim is to keep one speaker’s position from blurring into the other’s. Each side should have a reason to argue from its own perspective, not merely react to the general conversation.
#1 Best Overall
- GAME SET – The Debatable Game Set from Brass Monkey includes 200 things to argue about...not like you needed the help, dad.
- INCLUDES 200 DEBATE IDEAS – This game set is perfect for game night and includes 200 game cards, each featuring opposing views of hot button issues...like how to load the dishwasher like an actual human being.
- GREAT GIFT IDEA – Packed in a giftable box, this unique social game set is ready to be gifted to your favorite person to argue with. Box measures 4.1" square (by 2" deep if you're curious).
- INCLUDES – Game instructions are provided (because it would be pretty mean not to).
- BRASS MONKEY – Created way back in 2020, Brass Monkey was founded on the idea that products can have personality, without becoming roadside souvenirs. So that’s where you’ll find them - making well-designed items that just happen to have a sense of humor.
Pass the rival’s argument into the next turn
He also describes managing turns externally: one side speaks, then the other receives the first speaker’s transcript framed as a rival’s mistaken statement to answer. This gives the second speaker a concrete target and lets the application control whose turn it is, rather than relying on an open-ended exchange to maintain the debate structure.
Write distinct character sheets
Separate contexts are only useful if the characters do not sound interchangeable. El Otmani says he used detailed character sheets to distinguish tone, rhetorical style, taboo moves, and recurring verbal habits. Those dimensions can shape how a character argues, not just what position it takes.
Rank #2
- CONVINCE EVERYONE YOU'RE RIGHT: Rank cards from best to worst, then argue your case. Defend your hot takes, change minds, and see who can win the most ridiculous debates.
- THE HIT SOCIAL GAME: The ultimate icebreaker for friends, parties, group gatherings, and bachelor parties, this hilarious party game for adults instantly gets everyone talking, laughing and debating.
- LAUGH OUT LOUD IN SECONDS: Master the rules in under a minute and dive into over 160 outrageous topic cards, sparking debates, chaos, and nonstop laughs until your voice gives out.
- BATTLE OF OPINIONS: Shout, and persuade while igniting endless conversations. Roast your friends, create inside jokes, and push everyone to their limits.
- THINK YOU KNOW YOUR FRIENDS: Expose the wildest, most insane opinions you never knew you had. Brace yourself for shocking takes, heated debates, and jaw dropping topics.
Shape conversational pacing
He reports adding interruptions, trailing off, repetition, and incomplete sentences to make the exchange feel less like two uninterrupted blocks of polished prose. These are pacing choices, not proof of real disagreement: they can change the texture of dialogue, while distinct goals and positions provide its substance.
How to apply the design ideas to your own AI debate
- Define two positions. Write down what each speaker wants to argue and the assumptions behind that position. Avoid giving both characters the same goal of reaching a balanced conclusion.
- Keep the sides distinct. Give each speaker its own context and character sheet, including voice and rhetorical habits. Avoid relying on a single generic instruction to make the speakers “argue.”
- Control the turn order in your application. Request one side’s statement, then pass its transcript to the other side as the claim it should answer. Continue alternating as needed instead of expecting an unstructured conversation to police its own roles.
- Add pacing deliberately. Use interruptions or unfinished thoughts only where they suit the speakers and scene. Randomly roughening dialogue can make it less polished without making the disagreement more substantive.
- Check whether positions persist. Review whether each speaker continues to argue from its assigned goals and assumptions, and whether replies address the other side’s actual points. The account offers no validated scoring method or guaranteed result, so treat this as a practical check rather than a proven evaluation.
What this account does—and does not—establish
El Otmani’s account offers a set of design dimensions: shared or separate context, prompting or external turn orchestration, generic or differentiated character construction, and uninterrupted or deliberately shaped pacing. It does not report a controlled comparison showing which dimension matters most, or establish that the techniques reliably improve debate quality across models and tasks. The source is Ahmed El Otmani’s DEV Community article, “AI Is Bad at Disagreeing. I Spent Weeks Trying to Fix That.” Its search result lists April 19 and an April 24 edit but does not establish a publication year; the page itself could not be opened in the available retrieval.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Engaging Debate Topics: Dive into intriguing and thought-provoking subjects such as social debate, political discussions, and ideological debate with our expertly crafted prompts.
- Versatile Card Deck: Perfect for family discussions, college debates, high school debates, and homeschool activities, fostering critical thinking and meaningful conversations.
- Educational & Fun: Combines learning games and fun card games, making it an excellent choice for student gifts and homeschool supplies.
- High-Quality Design: Unique cards featuring beautiful, hand-painted watercolor illustrations, ensuring a delightful visual experience.
- Portable & Durable: Comes in a sturdy box of cards, making it an ideal travel playing card set for intellectual games on the go.
Rank #3
- Do foil hats protect your thoughts from alien mind readers? Should post-mortem organ donation be mandatory?
- Who doesn’t love a good argument? Especially winning one! And now you can finally prove to your friends and family that you can win ANY argument, regardless of the topic, and which side you’re on.
- In Debatable all players are politicians taking turns debating both serious and silly topics using creative debate strategies like "Deny everything", "Resort to personal attacks", and "Use made-up science to support you".
- Debatable is a hilarious party game for 3 to 16 adult players, but only one can become the debate king or queen.
- Please note that Debatable contains many different debate topics ranging from fun and silly to serious and even controversial. We recommend that you play with people you know well and/or people you know are not easily offended.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
