Definition
Plain language
A setup where several AI agents argue or discuss with each other to reach a better answer.
As stated in the literature
A multi-agent inference pattern in which LLM agents exchange natural-language arguments to refine a shared answer; used as a no-market baseline against economic coordination in Economy of Minds, where it underperformed.
Why it matters: It matters as a coordination approach to compare against, showing where simply having agents argue falls short of better-structured teamwork.
For example, three AI agents might each propose an answer to a tricky question and then argue back and forth until they settle on the strongest one.
Heard on the show
“Tree search, multi-agent debate, self-reflection, learned planners.”Episode 012 — Why AI Coding Agents Keep Trying to Debug Without a Debugger