When to reach for it
- Perspectives must be visibly merged.
- Discussion is part of the solution process.
- Roles need to interact flexibly.
Group Chat.
A shared thread. Everyone speaks.
Agents communicate in a shared conversation space, building upon each other's inputs in a round-robin, random, or simultaneous manner.
When it backfires
- A deterministic flow is required.
- The token budget is heavily restricted.
- Responsibilities must remain strictly isolated.
The tradeoff
Rich interaction is gained against high token costs and difficult flow control.
A shape you can draw on a napkin.
Agents broadcast into a shared conversation thread. Turns are round-robin or dynamic, but every message is visible to all.
Two ways this pattern will hurt you.
Token budget explodes with every broadcast
Each agent sees the full history of every other agent. After 10 turns, every message carries 10 prior responses.
Fix · Use a rolling summary window. Keep only the last K messages or a compressed narrative of earlier turns.
One agent dominates the conversation
An eager agent replies to every message, crowding out quieter specialists. The final answer reflects one voice.
Fix · Implement turn-taking rules or a speaking budget per agent. Require explicit mentions to invite a response.