the-ai-counsel-api

The AI Counsel — API & MCP Skill

Overview

The AI Counsel has two operating modes:

• Council mode — 3-stage multi-LLM deliberation: individual responses → anonymous peer ranking → chairman synthesis
• Advisor mode — Named personas debate a question across configurable rounds, reaching consensus or delivering a structured verdict

Use Council for direct answers, creative prompts, factual questions, and "give me the best response" synthesis. Use Advisor only when the user wants named personas to debate a decision, tradeoff, risk review, prioritization, strategy, ethics, or genuine disagreement. Simple prompts can drift off-topic in Advisor mode because advisor prompts intentionally force positions, rebuttals, consensus scoring, and verdicts.

Transport rule (read first): If The AI Counsel MCP tools are available in your session, call them — do not shell out to curl for the same operation. This skill’s REST sections are the fallback reference when MCP is missing, the SSE session is stale, or you need raw SSE/admin export.

MCP server (v0.13.0): Built-in SSE at http://localhost:8001/mcp/sse (stdio: python -m the_ai_counsel_mcp). Exposes 10 action-based tools (not 25). Verify via GET /api/health → "mcp": {"tools": 10, "sse_url": "..."}.

The server's connect message is minimal by design — it does not list the tools. Use the roster below.

Default base URL (REST fallback only): http://localhost:8001 (override with PORT_BACKEND / LLM_COUNCIL_BIND_PORT)
Remote server: replace with http://<server-ip>:8001

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MCP-first routing

When to use MCP (preferred)

Use MCP when your tool list includes any of these 10 tools (server may appear as the-ai-counsel, ai-counsel, or user-the-ai-counsel):

You want to…	MCP tool	Action(s)	Do not use curl
Check server / providers	providers	health	GET /api/health
Test an API key	providers	test	POST /api/settings/test-provider
List models	providers	list_models	GET /api/models…
Read council config (+ presets)	council_settings	get	GET /api/settings (council fields)
Update council members/chairman/mode	council_settings	update	PUT /api/settings (council fields)
Council preset CRUD	council_settings	list_presets, save_preset, delete_preset, set_default_preset	PUT /api/settings
Set search provider / API key	providers	set_search, set_api_key	PUT /api/settings
Backup / restore / reset config	config_backup	export, import, reset	export/import/reset endpoints
Full deliberation	council_deliberate	full	/api/ask or message stream
Stage 1 / 2 / 3 only	council_deliberate	stage1, stage2, stage3	stage stream endpoints
One-shot model chat	model_chat	quick	POST /api/ask
Multi-turn chat with a model	model_chat	multi_turn	conversation message endpoints
List / read conversations	conversations	list, get	conversation GETs
Check active run progress	conversations	progress	GET /api/conversations/{id}/progress
List / read / edit personas	personas	list, get, update, reset	/api/personas
Create / delete custom personas	(no MCP action)	(Advisor Setup or REST)	POST /api/personas / DELETE /api/personas/{id}
Read advisor defaults (+ presets)	advisor_settings	get	GET /api/settings (advisor fields)
Update advisor defaults	advisor_settings	update	PUT /api/settings (advisor fields)
Advisor preset CRUD	advisor_settings	list_presets, save_preset, delete_preset, set_default_preset	PUT /api/settings
Run advisor debate	advisor_debate	(direct params)	debate/stream
Run multi-round debate	run_iterative_debate	(direct params)	debate message endpoints