🧠 Three AI Minds Are Wiser Than One

Kia ora, Namaskaram 🙏🏾

Using AI with just one mind is like playing Mortal Kombat and only ever choosing Scorpion. Sure, he’s powerful. But what about Sub-Zero’s freeze, Sonya’s agility, or Raiden’s lightning?

Different characters unlock different capabilities. Same with using this Perspective Play prompt.

Inspired by a hot-of-the-press pre-print paper, I’ve started prompting a little differently. From my own experiments, I see this prompt generate smarter, creative, and often, more diverse ideas.

Prompt AI to switch roles: first, a step-by-step thinker. Then, a PhD-level expert. Finally, a third-party observer listening to a debate.

📚 Evidence: Wang, Xiaolong, et al. "Perspective Transition of Large Language Models for Solving Subjective Tasks." arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.09265 (2025).

Why I believe this prompt works:

🟢 Encourages AI to move beyond surface-level answers
🔵 Mirrors how humans trained in systems thinking switch perspectives
🟡 Encourages deeper reasoning on complex and creative challenges without a single truth
🟣 Increases the relevance and robustness of AI-generated insights
🟠 Invites reflection: which simulated voice leads to the best next step?

Evidence-Based Prompt #2: Perspective Play

📝 My example prompt

🤖 AI Output

Here are multiple ideas for reducing friction people face when deciding to invest in green funds, using the requested perspectives:

A. Direct Perspective (Straightforward Solutions):
🔵 Simplified Communication: Use clear language and easy-to-follow infographics to make investment benefits tangible.
🟢 Transparency Labels: Introduce standardised, consumer-friendly labels similar to nutritional information on food, clearly indicating sustainability impact.
🟡 Low Barrier Entry: Offer micro-investment options to allow people to start investing small amounts in green funds without feeling overwhelmed.
🟠 Instant Impact Feedback: Provide immediate, relatable feedback showing investors how their contributions directly impact environmental or social causes.
🔴 Social Proof: Highlight stories and testimonials from diverse, relatable investors who have successfully invested in green funds.

Confidence Score: 85%

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B. Role Perspective (PhD-level Expert in Behavioural Finance):
🔵 Cognitive Ease Through Defaults: Leverage automatic enrolment (default options) into green funds, requiring opt-out to avoid behavioural inertia.
🔵 Reducing Ambiguity with ESG Scores: Standardise Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scoring frameworks to improve investor confidence through consistency and comparability.
🔵 Temporal Framing: Highlight short-term gains or immediate benefits (such as community improvements) rather than distant future outcomes, addressing present-bias.
🔵 Address Loss Aversion: Clearly communicate the potential losses from not investing sustainably, framing green funds as a safe and responsible hedge against future financial and environmental risks.
🔵 Use Implementation Intentions: Provide guided commitment plans ("if-then" plans) that help potential investors specify when, how, and how much they'll invest, significantly increasing follow-through.

Confidence Score: 95%

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C. Third-person Perspective (Simulated Dialogue):
Conversation between Alex (Environmentally conscious, hesitant investor) and Priya (Financial Advisor):

🔵 Alex: “I care deeply about sustainability, but honestly, every time I look into these green funds, it’s just so confusing.”
🟡 Priya: “What’s confusing exactly?”
🔵 Alex: “I can’t figure out which funds actually make a difference. They all use similar buzzwords.”
🟡 Priya: “That's true. Maybe if there was a standardised score that made it easy to compare impact, would that help?”
🔵 Alex: “Definitely. I need a clear way to see where my money goes—something more than just vague promises.”
🟡 Priya: “How about if we also had a low-risk, low-commitment option to just get started and see how it feels?”
🔵 Alex: “Yes, that could work. But even then, it's hard to stay motivated when the results feel abstract or too far away.”
🟡 Priya: “What if you got regular updates showing exactly how your investment made a difference in real-time?”
🔵 Alex: “That would make a huge difference. It would feel more rewarding if I could see actual progress.”
🟡 Priya: “And what if your friends or colleagues were also doing it? Would that influence you?”
🔵 Alex: “For sure! Knowing other people like me are investing would make me feel less isolated. Investing together might even be fun.”

Summary of Insights from the Conversation:
- Need for standardised ESG impact scores
- Introduction of low-risk entry points for hesitant investors
- Regular real-time impact feedback to maintain motivation
- Facilitation of social investing experiences to leverage peer influence

Confidence Score: 90%

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Overall Confidence Summary:

Direct perspective = 85%
Role (PhD-level expert) = 95%
Third-person observation = 90%
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