AI Debate System

A system for orchestrating formal debates between AI models.

Installation

npm install

Build

npm run build

Testing

npm test

Development

npm run dev

Configuration

The debate system can be configured using a .debaterc file in your project directory or home directory. See .debaterc.example for a template.

Configuration Parameters

Debate Configuration

• timeLimit (number, optional): Maximum seconds per response. Default: 120
• wordLimit (number, optional): Maximum words per statement. Default: 500
• strictMode (boolean): Validate on-topic responses. Default: false
• showPreparation (boolean): Display preparation phase output. Default: true
• numCrossExamQuestions (number): Number of cross-examination questions per side. Default: 3
• preparationTime (number, optional): Seconds allocated for the preparation phase where AI models research and prepare arguments. Default: 180

UI Configuration

The ui object allows you to customize the visual presentation and formatting:

• enableRichFormatting (boolean): Enable/disable rich text features (markdown-like formatting, emphasis, lists). Default: true
• enableAnimations (boolean): Enable/disable animations (progress bars, status indicators). Default: true (false in CI environments)
• enableColors (boolean): Enable/disable ANSI colors. Default: auto-detected based on terminal capabilities
• colorScheme (string): Color scheme selection. Options: "default", "high-contrast", "plain", "custom". Default: "default"
• terminalWidth (number, optional): Override auto-detected terminal width (40-500). Default: auto-detected
• showPreparationProgress (boolean): Show animated progress bars during preparation instead of raw output. Default: true
• enableHyperlinks (boolean): Enable clickable hyperlinks in supported terminals. Default: auto-detected
• customColorScheme (object, optional): Custom color scheme when colorScheme is set to "custom"
• customFormattingRules (object, optional): Custom formatting rules to override defaults

Example Configuration

{
  "timeLimit": 60,
  "wordLimit": 300,
  "strictMode": false,
  "showPreparation": true,
  "numCrossExamQuestions": 3,
  "preparationTime": 180,
  "ui": {
    "enableRichFormatting": true,
    "enableAnimations": true,
    "enableColors": true,
    "colorScheme": "default",
    "terminalWidth": null,
    "showPreparationProgress": true,
    "enableHyperlinks": true
  }
}

Accessibility Options

For accessibility, you can disable colors and animations:

{
  "ui": {
    "enableColors": false,
    "enableAnimations": false,
    "colorScheme": "plain"
  }
}

Or use high-contrast mode for better visibility:

{
  "ui": {
    "colorScheme": "high-contrast"
  }
}

Configuration Precedence

Configuration values are loaded with the following precedence (highest to lowest):

1. CLI options (command-line flags)
2. Environment variables
3. Configuration file (.debaterc)
4. Default values

Environment Variables

You can configure the debate system using environment variables:

Debate Configuration

• DEBATE_TIME_LIMIT: Maximum seconds per response
• DEBATE_WORD_LIMIT: Maximum words per statement
• DEBATE_STRICT_MODE: Enable strict mode (true or false)
• DEBATE_SHOW_PREPARATION: Display preparation phase (true or false)
• DEBATE_CROSS_EXAM_QUESTIONS: Number of cross-examination questions
• DEBATE_PREPARATION_TIME: Preparation time in seconds

UI Configuration

• DEBATE_UI_ENABLE_RICH_FORMATTING: Enable rich text formatting (true or false)
• DEBATE_UI_ENABLE_ANIMATIONS: Enable animations (true or false)
• DEBATE_UI_ENABLE_COLORS: Enable colors (true or false)
• DEBATE_UI_COLOR_SCHEME: Color scheme (default, high-contrast, plain, or custom)
• DEBATE_UI_TERMINAL_WIDTH: Override terminal width (40-500)
• DEBATE_UI_SHOW_PREPARATION_PROGRESS: Show progress bars (true or false)
• DEBATE_UI_ENABLE_HYPERLINKS: Enable hyperlinks (true or false)

API Keys

• OPENAI_API_KEY: OpenAI API key
• ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: Anthropic API key