Learning to Debate for Improving School Level Education with Large Language Models

For decades, competitive debate has been hailed as the “ultimate mental gym,” sharpening critical thinking, research skills, and public speaking. However, it has often remained an elitist activity, confined to schools with the budget for specialized coaches and extensive travel. The emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) like Gemini and GPT-4 represents a seismic shift, offering a way to democratize high-level dialectical training. While some fear that AI might encourage “intellectual laziness,” I argue that, if implemented correctly, LLMs can serve as the ultimate “Digital Socrates”—an infinitely patient, remarkably well-read sparring partner for the next generation of thinkers.