Frequently asked questions
What can I use the Habermas Machine for?
The Habermas Machine helps participants find common ground in a group discussion. For example, a group might discuss whether the UK should rejoin the EU, whether to introduce universal basic income, or how their local community should prioritise public spending. Based on participants’ opinions and feedback, it generates group statements that aim to reflect shared views and achieve broad support.
Do I need to sign up?
You do not need to sign up to participate. If you want to host your own deliberations, you need to create an account using your email address or Google account.
Is it free to use?
Yes, the Habermas Machine is free to use.
What AI models does the Habermas Machine use?
By default, the Habermas Machine uses Claude Sonnet 5.5 with prompts designed to generate group statements from participants’ contributions. A second model, based on Qwen3-8B and fine-tuned to predict participants’ preferences, estimates which statements each participant would prefer.
These predicted preferences are aggregated using the Schulze method to select statements for participants to evaluate. Participants’ actual ratings are then aggregated using the same method to select the group statement.
What do I need to do as a deliberation host?
As a host, you create the discussion. This means defining the discussion question, choosing how many rounds to deliberate, and sharing a link with the people you want to invite. You can monitor progress and manage the deliberation from the host dashboard.
What do I need to do as a deliberation participant?
As a participant, you share your opinion on the discussion question. You then review and rate the group statements generated by the Habermas Machine and provide written critiques to help improve them in subsequent rounds.
Who can I contact if I want to learn more?
Please reach out to the research team at habermasmachine@gmail.com.
My deliberation isn’t advancing. What should I do?
First, check whether the deliberation is waiting for participants to submit their responses. The host dashboard also gives you the option to manually advance.
If it appears stuck or shows an error, please contact the research team using the email address above. Include the session link and a brief description of what happened so we can investigate and improve the Habermas Machine.