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Dinner Party Mode

Dinner Party Mode transforms SeanceAI into an immersive group conversation experience. Gather 2-5 historical figures around a virtual table and watch them debate, agree, disagree, and build on each other’s ideas in response to your questions.

Overview

Imagine hosting a dinner party where Einstein debates quantum mechanics with Bohr, or Shakespeare discusses storytelling with da Vinci. Dinner Party Mode makes this possible through intelligent multi-guest AI conversations.
Each guest responds in their authentic voice, often reacting to and engaging with what other guests say, creating natural group dynamics.

How to Host a Dinner Party

1

Switch to Dinner Party Tab

Click the “Dinner Party” tab in the navigation to access the guest selection view.
2

Select Your Guests

Choose 2-5 historical figures from the grid. You can:
  • Select guests individually by clicking figure cards
  • Use curated combinations for pre-designed dinner parties
  • Mix and match figures from different eras and fields
3

Start the Party

Click “Start Dinner Party” once you have 2-5 guests selected. A candlelit table appears with your chosen figures.
4

Ask a Question

Pose a question or topic to the group. All guests will respond in turn, often building on or debating each other’s points.

Guest Selection

Manual Selection

  • Minimum guests: 2
  • Maximum guests: 5
  • Guest counter: Shows “X/5 guests selected”
  • Clear button: Remove all selected guests and start over

Curated Combinations

SeanceAI offers pre-designed dinner parties for different themes:
The great thinkers debate the meaning of lifeGuests: Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Gandhi, Aristotle, Pythagoras
Brilliant minds discuss the nature of realityGuests: Einstein, Marie Curie, Tesla, Ada Lovelace, Newton, Darwin, Hawking
Rulers and conquerors compare their legaciesGuests: Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Napoleon, Elizabeth I, Genghis Khan, Lincoln
The founders of quantum mechanics debate realityGuests: Einstein, Bohr, Planck, Heisenberg, Schrödinger, Feynman
Pioneers of computing and artificial intelligenceGuests: Turing, Hopper, Katherine Johnson, McCarthy, Ritchie, von Neumann
The greatest mathematical minds in historyGuests: Gauss, Euler, Riemann, Ramanujan, Emmy Noether, Gödel
More curated combinations include Artists, Revolutionaries, Astronomers, Biologists, Ancient Scholars, and more!

Conversation Dynamics

How Guests Respond

When you ask a question, the AI generates responses for each guest that:
  1. Stay in character with authentic personalities and speaking styles
  2. Address your question directly from their historical perspective
  3. React to each other by agreeing, disagreeing, or building on others’ points
  4. Create group dynamics with natural conversation flow

Response Format

Guests respond in structured format:
[einstein]: *adjusts spectacles thoughtfully* Ah, what a fascinating question...

[curie]: *sets down her tea cup* I must respectfully disagree with Albert on this point...

[bohr]: *nods slowly* Both of you raise interesting perspectives. I believe...
API Response:
{
  "responses": [
    {
      "figure_id": "einstein",
      "response": "*adjusts spectacles thoughtfully* Ah, what a fascinating question..."
    },
    {
      "figure_id": "curie",
      "response": "*sets down her tea cup* I must respectfully disagree..."
    }
  ],
  "guests": [...]
}

API Integration

Get Curated Combinations

Endpoint: GET /api/dinner-party/combos
const combos = await fetch('/api/dinner-party/combos')
  .then(r => r.json());

console.log(combos.combos);
// {
//   "philosophers": {
//     "name": "Philosophers",
//     "description": "The great thinkers debate...",
//     "guests": ["socrates", "aurelius", ...]
//   },
//   ...
// }

Send Dinner Party Message

Endpoint: POST /api/dinner-party/chat
const response = await fetch('/api/dinner-party/chat', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    guests: ['einstein', 'bohr', 'heisenberg'],
    message: 'What is the true nature of quantum reality?',
    history: conversationHistory,
    model: 'google/gemma-3-12b-it:free'
  })
});

const data = await response.json();
// Returns responses from each guest

Streaming Responses

Endpoint: POST /api/dinner-party/chat/stream
const response = await fetch('/api/dinner-party/chat/stream', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    guests: ['einstein', 'bohr'],
    message: 'Can you explain quantum entanglement?',
    history: [],
    model: 'google/gemma-3-12b-it:free'
  })
});

// Read SSE stream
const reader = response.body.getReader();
while (true) {
  const { done, value } = await reader.read();
  if (done) break;
  // Process streaming chunks
}

Get Contextual Suggestions

Endpoint: POST /api/dinner-party/suggestions
const suggestions = await fetch('/api/dinner-party/suggestions', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    guests: ['einstein', 'bohr', 'heisenberg'],
    history: conversationHistory,
    last_response: 'Recent discussion about quantum mechanics...'
  })
}).then(r => r.json());

console.log(suggestions.suggestions);
// ["What do you think?", "Tell us more!", "Do you agree?"]
Suggestions are generated quickly (under 40 characters each) for smooth conversation flow.

Features

Conversation Management

  • History tracking: Maintains context across multiple exchanges
  • Auto-save: Conversations automatically saved to browser storage
  • Resume: Return to previous dinner parties from saved conversations

Controls & Sharing

Share Party

Generate shareable links with full guest list and conversation history

Copy Conversation

Copy formatted conversation text including all guest responses

Download

Export your dinner party as a .txt file

Back to Selection

Choose new guests for a different dinner party

AI Model Selection

Just like Seance Mode, you can choose different AI models for different capabilities:
  • Swift models (free): Fast responses, good for casual conversations
  • Balanced models: Higher quality with reasonable speed
  • Advanced models: Most nuanced and sophisticated responses
Advanced models may handle complex group dynamics better when managing 4-5 guests.

Example Dinner Party Ideas

Cross-Disciplinary Discussions

Guests: da Vinci, Einstein, Marie CurieTopics:
  • Where do creativity and logic intersect?
  • How does observation shape both art and science?

Themed Debates

  1. Leadership styles: Caesar, Cleopatra, Lincoln, Gandhi
  2. The nature of reality: Einstein, Bohr, Plato, Aristotle
  3. Mathematics and beauty: Pythagoras, Euler, Ramanujan, da Vinci
  4. Breaking barriers: Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Harriet Tubman, Ada Lovelace

Technical Implementation

System Prompt

Dinner Party Mode uses a specialized prompt that:
from figures import get_dinner_party_prompt

prompt = get_dinner_party_prompt(['einstein', 'bohr', 'heisenberg'])
# Creates a prompt with:
# - Each guest's personality traits
# - Their historical beliefs and values  
# - Response format instructions
# - Group dynamics guidelines

Response Parsing

The app automatically parses structured responses:
// Raw response from AI:
"[einstein]: Quantum mechanics is fascinating...\n\n[bohr]: I agree, but..."

// Parsed into individual responses:
[
  { figure_id: 'einstein', response: 'Quantum mechanics is...' },
  { figure_id: 'bohr', response: 'I agree, but...' }
]

Constraints

  • Min guests: 2 (enforced by API)
  • Max guests: 5 (enforced by API)
  • History limit: Last 20 messages (same as Seance Mode)
  • Response length: 1-2 paragraphs per guest recommended

Tips for Great Dinner Parties

  1. Start with open-ended questions: Allow guests to share diverse perspectives
  2. Ask comparative questions: “How do your approaches differ?”
  3. Introduce hypotheticals: “What if you all lived in the modern era?”
  4. Reference guest expertise: Ask questions that play to each figure’s strengths
  5. Let debates develop: Follow up when guests disagree

Troubleshooting

  • Check that you have 2-5 guests selected
  • Verify your internet connection
  • Try refreshing the page if the issue persists
  • Try using a more advanced AI model
  • Rephrase your question to be more specific
  • Check if the question is appropriate for all guests’ time periods
  • Wait a few moments and try again
  • Switch to a different AI model
  • The system will automatically try fallback models

Next Steps

Historical Figures

Browse all figures to find perfect dinner guests

Seance Mode

Have 1-on-1 conversations with figures

Conversation History

Manage your dinner party conversations

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