For instance, I am thinking about the munk debates which in 2023 tackled AI x-risk. I don’t see how adding more people to a 1v1 debate makes it better in any way. One of the major frustrations with debates is that it is difficult to get the participants to respond to each other. The goal would be to have the participant with the better claim manage to pin down where the weaker argument is incorrect or relies on a false assumption. But with more people added there are more opinions and confusion along with less direct responses. My question also refers to other debate formats with more than 2 participants.
[Question] What is the point of 2v2 debates?
For instance, I am thinking about the munk debates which in 2023 tackled AI x-risk. I don’t see how adding more people to a 1v1 debate makes it better in any way. One of the major frustrations with debates is that it is difficult to get the participants to respond to each other. The goal would be to have the participant with the better claim manage to pin down where the weaker argument is incorrect or relies on a false assumption. But with more people added there are more opinions and confusion along with less direct responses. My question also refers to other debate formats with more than 2 participants.