12 debate prompts for ChatGPT and other AI assistants

Start with a bounded exercise

These are practice instructions you can adapt for an AI assistant. They do not assume a particular paid plan, browsing feature or ability to verify sources. Use a hypothetical issue or public information; omit private details about other people.

Replace “our town” with the actual scope if you have permission to discuss it. After each exercise, read the response as a suggestion. An articulate criticism can still misunderstand your argument.

Prompts for opening arguments

• Claim check: “Here is my opening: [text]. Identify the policy I propose, who acts and the time frame. Ask a clarifying question if any of these is missing.”
• Reasoning bridge: “Separate my claim, evidence and inference. Show where the inference needs an extra premise. Do not add new facts.”
• Ninety-second opening: “Help me cut this opening to one proposal, two reasons and one acknowledged tradeoff. Preserve uncertainty and do not strengthen factual claims.”
• Concrete stakes: “List who might benefit and who might bear costs from this hypothetical proposal. Mark these as possibilities, not verified outcomes.”

Prompts for responding to objections

• One objection: “Challenge this position with one substantive objection. Wait for my answer before continuing. Avoid personal attacks and invented studies.”
• Direct answer check: “Here is an objection and my reply. Does the reply answer it, concede it or change the subject? Point to the relevant sentence.”
• Strongest alternative: “Suggest a plausible alternative to my proposal. Ask me to explain why my approach is better under the same constraints.”
• Cross-question practice: “Ask three short questions about my assumptions, one at a time. Accept ‘I do not know’ and flag what needs research.”

Prompts for listening and revision

• Switch sides: “Help me write the strongest reasonable opposing case. Preserve the original opponent’s scope and ask before assigning them a belief.”
• Common-ground worksheet: “From these two statements, distinguish shared goals, shared factual assumptions and unresolved disagreements. Quote only words actually provided.”
• Evidence audit: “List factual claims in this draft. Do not verify them from memory. Label each as supported by the supplied source, unsupported or a proposal.”
• Revision drill: “Pick one weak paragraph and offer two clearer versions. Explain what each changes without adding new evidence or declaring a winner.”

Example: turn an evasive reply into a relevant reply

A useful assistant exercise is checking alignment between objection and answer. The following exchange is hypothetical.

How to assess the assistant’s output

Keep a copy of your original draft and compare what changed. Do not accept a rewrite simply because it sounds more forceful.

Move the revised argument into a real exchange

Use the prompt output to prepare one improved opening and one honest question. Then discuss the issue with a person. Tell them that you rehearsed; do not pretend the assistant’s simulated agreement is evidence of public support. A shared-device Debagle session can give that human exchange a turn structure.

Sources: Debagle: one-device in-person sessions