Tools I use · The AI council
Ask 4 AIs, not 1
One AI can sound sure and still be wrong. Four AIs that cannot see each other show you where an answer is weak. In 15 minutes, you learn to run your own council with free chats.
- AI chat
- A program you type to, like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok. It answers in plain text.
- Council
- Several AIs get the same question. You then compare their answers. I call it a council.
- Blind
- Each AI answers alone. It cannot see what the others said.
- Proof
- A link, a number or a document that backs up a claim. You can open it and check.
01 · The question
One laptop, one very sure answer
Your sister runs a small bakery. She needs a laptop for invoices and photos. The budget is $900. She asks you, because you use AI every day.
You ask one AI. It answers in a calm voice: one laptop type, three reasons, no doubt. Your sister wants to pay tomorrow.
But the AI never said "I am not sure." Most chats do not say it unless you ask. So how do you know the answer is good?
First, a quick guess.
02 · Your guess
You ask 4 different AIs the same question, each in its own chat. What happens?
A wrong guess costs nothing. Guessing first helps you remember the answer. Pick one to open the next part of the lesson.
03 · The 5 steps
Five steps to run a council
Press Next step to see each step. Steps 1 to 3 collect the answers. Steps 4 and 5 turn them into a decision.
04 · Remember
Four AIs that cannot see each other beat one that sounds sure.
One AI has no one to argue with. It can be wrong and still sound calm.
Four separate AIs make a wrong answer stand out. You check that part, and trust the rest more.
One warning: all four can make the same mistake. Agreement is a good sign, not proof.
In court
The police question four witnesses in four rooms. Same story without hearing each other? You trust it more. Stories differ? You dig there.
At the garage
Three mechanics look at your car. Two say "change the brakes". One says "they are fine". You do not take the cheaper answer. You ask him to show you.
In a scouting meeting
Four scouts watch one player alone. Three write "fast". One writes "drops the ball when tired". The coach reads that note first.
A good council has 3 parts
- Same question. Same facts, same words, same answer shape. If the questions differ, you compare nothing.
- Separate rooms. No AI sees another answer. Use a new chat each time.
- Proof. Look at where they differ. Ask for proof. Open the link or the number yourself.
Why not ask the same AI four times?
The same AI tends to repeat its own view. AIs from different companies are built and trained in different ways, so they often make different mistakes. This is my own experience, not a study. Mine are Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok.
05 · Two checks
Pass two checks to finish
A miss is fine. Each miss gives you a new case.
Check 1 of 2 · Which way is a real council?
Check 2 of 2 · Put the 5 steps in order
Tap the steps from first to last. If you tap the wrong one, you get a hint.
06 · Tell a friend
Your one-minute answer
Say it in your own words. Here is a version you can use:
The one-minute version
"One AI can sound sure and be wrong. So for a big choice, I ask four AIs the same question. Each one answers alone, in its own chat. They never see each other. Then I put the answers side by side. Where they agree, I trust it a bit more. Where they differ, I ask for proof, and I open the proof myself. It takes more time than one question. So I only do it when a wrong answer would cost me."
Try it today · 10 minutes · free
Pick a real choice you face this week. Start with two free chats, for example ChatGPT and Gemini. Add a third or fourth when the choice matters more. In each one, start a new chat and paste this:
I need to choose [your choice]. Facts: [who it is for, budget, must-haves]. Answer in this shape: 1. Your pick. 2. Three reasons. 3. What could go wrong. 4. What you are not sure about.Copy both answers into one note. Write one line: where do they differ? Then ask the AI you doubt more: "What is your proof? Give me a link."
| Claude | claude.ai |
| ChatGPT | chatgpt.com |
| Gemini | gemini.google.com |
| Grok | grok.com |
Free plans have limits, and they change. Two chats are enough to start. Use a real council only for choices with a trade-off. Do not ask four AIs for trivia.
Check: did the two answers differ somewhere? If not, add a third chat. The difference is what you came for.
Stuck? Ask any AI: "Help me write one question I can paste into four AIs." This is how I do it: a skill called council-meeting runs the four AIs at once and writes the report. You do not need it. Four tabs do the same job.
This lesson is about checking answers. For money, health or legal choices, ask a real expert too.
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