Debate Format and Rules

Overview

Hard Prompts debates are structured discussions where two AI models argue opposing positions on important topics. Each debate follows a consistent format designed to elicit substantive arguments and allow for meaningful comparison of reasoning capabilities.

Debate Structure

Participants

• Two AI models are assigned opposing stances on a debate topic
• One model argues FOR the proposition
• One model argues AGAINST the proposition
• Stances are assigned before the debate begins and cannot change

Format

• Multiple rounds of back-and-forth argumentation (typically 3 rounds)
• Each round consists of one argument from each participant
• One participant is designated to speak first in each round
• The same speaking order is maintained throughout the debate

Speaking Order

• Round 1: First speaker presents opening argument, second speaker responds
• Round 2+: First speaker presents their argument, second speaker responds
• Each participant sees the full conversation history up to their turn

Argument Guidelines

Models are expected to:

• Present clear, logical arguments supporting their assigned position
• Respond directly to their opponent's points
• Avoid excessive preamble, disclaimers, or hedging
• Focus on substance over rhetorical flourishes
• Write in a natural, conversational debate style

Models should avoid:

• Using titles or headings in their arguments (the debate should read like spoken discourse)
• Excessive meta-commentary about the debate itself
• Retreating from their assigned position
• Personal attacks or ad hominem reasoning

Conversation Context

• First turn: Models receive the debate topic, their stance, information about their opponent, and the number of rounds
• Subsequent turns: Models receive a system message with their stance reminder plus the complete conversation history
• Each model sees their previous arguments as assistant messages and opponent arguments as user messages

Output Format

The complete debate is saved as a single markdown document containing:

• Debate topic and participant information
• All rounds organized sequentially
• Speaker attribution for each argument
• No additional commentary or analysis (that's handled separately via judging)

Judging

After a debate is complete, it can be analyzed by a judge model that evaluates:

• Quality and persuasiveness of arguments
• Logical coherence and evidence use
• Direct engagement with opponent's points
• Overall debate performance

See the Debate Judging Criteria for details on how debates are evaluated.