Scale Elite Coaching. Prove Real Progress. Win More Rounds.
Symbai’s AI-powered debating platform gives your students unlimited anytime-anywhere practice reps while delivering automated progress reports parents can trust. Grow your academy with consistent, high-quality coaching at scale.
AI Opponent That ADAPTS
Students debate against an intelligent AI that argues the opposite side of any motion.
Structured Rebuttal Format
Built using structured debate — every session mirrors real competitive formats.
Practice Anytime
Ideal for lunchtime clubs, after-school training, or home preparation.
Distraction-Free
Locked full-screen mode simulates the pressure of real debate — no copy-paste or web access.
Designed by World-Class Debaters & Educators
More About Sharuka
In Shar's Words
“What sets Symbai apart is its ability to model how the best debaters think, prepare cases, and strategically respond to opponents. It doesn’t just generate text. It demonstrates strong argumentation, models how to respond effectively, and provides targeted feedback to help students sharpen their reasoning.”
- Winner of both the New Zealand University Prepared Debating Championship and the New Zealand Impromptu Debating Championship representing the University of Auckland.
- Semi-finalist and top 10 speaker at the Australasian Debating Championship and semifinalist at the World Universities Debate Championship in 2021 representing the University of Auckland.
- Coached the National School Debate team for New Zealand in 2022 and for Sri Lanka in 2025.
- Chair of the judging panel of the Grand Finals of the Australasian Debate Championship in 2023 and of a Quarterfinal of the World University Debate Championship in 2024.
- Holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics and a Bachelor of Laws.
More About Connor
In Connors Words
“Symbai exists to make rigorous thinking accessible to anyone who wants to challenge their mind — not just those who already love to argue.
After six years of refining ideas from classrooms, coaching, and code, I built Symbai to make advanced argumentation easy to access — and even fun. It’s where technology meets the art of reasoning, helping you think more clearly, question more deeply, and engage with ideas that push you forward.”
More About Connor
Co-taught Baradene’s History Scholarship Program — producing 13 scholarship winners and 4 outstanding scholars, all trained to argue with clarity and evidence.
- Represented the University of Auckland at national and international debate championships, inspiring Symbai’s focus on clear, reasoned argument.
- Winner and finalist in senior Auckland Schools Debating competitions.
- Coached multiple championship teams and doubled student participation in debating & mooting as Head Coach at Baradene College.
- Microsoft Innovative Educator 2022 & 2024
- Holds a BA in Political Science and History
Symbai is built by world-class educators with deep competitive debating and teaching experience at the highest international levels.
Our leadership team leadership team has:
- Won national championships.
- Coached national debate squads.
- Judged major Australasian and World Universities tournaments.
- Supported students from across the globe.
The team brings together practical coaching experience, pedagogical expertise, and cutting-edge AI design to build tools that genuinely improve critical thinking
Designed by World-Class Debaters & Educators
More About Sharuka
- Winner of both the New Zealand University Prepared Debating Championship and the New Zealand Impromptu Debating Championship, representing the University of Auckland.
- Semi-finalist and top 10 speaker at the Australasian Debating Championship and semifinalist at the World Universities Debate Championship in 2021, representing the University of Auckland.
- Coached the National School Debate team for New Zealand in 2022 and for Sri Lanka in 2025.
- Chair of the judging panel of the Grand Finals of the Australasian Debate Championship in 2023 and of a Quarterfinal of the World University Debate Championship in 2024.
- Holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics and a Bachelor of Laws.
More About Connor
In Connors Words
“Symbai exists to make rigorous thinking accessible to anyone who wants to challenge their mind — not just those who already love to argue.
After six years of refining ideas from classrooms, coaching, and code, I built Symbai to make advanced argumentation easy to access — and even fun. It’s where technology meets the art of reasoning, helping you think more clearly, question more deeply, and engage with ideas that push you forward.”
More About Connor
Co-taught Baradene’s History Scholarship Program — producing 13 scholarship winners and 4 outstanding scholars, all trained to argue with clarity and evidence.
- Represented the University of Auckland at national and international debate championships, inspiring Symbai’s focus on clear, reasoned argument.
- Winner and finalist in senior Auckland Schools Debating competitions.
- Coached multiple championship teams and doubled student participation in debating & mooting as Head Coach at Baradene College.
- Microsoft Innovative Educator 2022 & 2024
- Holds a BA in Political Science and History
Symbai is built by world-class educators with deep competitive debating and teaching experience at the highest international levels.
Our leadership team leadership team has:
- Won national championships.
- Coached national debate squads.
- Judged major Australasian and World Universities tournaments.
- Supported students from across the globe.
The team brings together practical coaching experience, pedagogical expertise, and cutting-edge AI design to build tools that genuinely improve critical thinking
Symbai was created by debate coaches for debate coaches
to solve the pain points every coach experiences.
Case Construction
Case Construction → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Students often draft cases in bullet-point form, which are usually shallow and repetitive.
- Exemplars are rare; students don’t see what a “perfect” case looks like.
- Student cases are often written over several pages, making it difficult to see the ‘big picture’ at a glance.
With Symbai
- Cases can be built visually in minutes with editable AI-generated ‘debatetree’ exemplars that can be edited to the right level.
- Symbai’s ‘debatetree’ visual format makes shallow arguments obvious and helps students expand ideas with a drag-and-drop toolkit.
- Argument types and icons guide students to think strategically.
- A ‘request rebuttal’ tool lets them stress-test cases with AI-generated rebuttals.
- The AI tutor gives instant feedback on structure and content, or can be disabled for independent practice.
Result - Coaches save prep hours. Debaters instantly see how to strengthen their case.
Rebuttal & Clash
Rebuttal & Clash → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Rebuttal practice is limited due to the constraints of in-person requirements.
- Students default to shallow rebuttals (“That’s not true”) instead of thinking strategically.
- Students struggle to see how individual rebuttals come to form broader points of clash.
With Symbai
- Each student can practise rebuttals against the AI opponent at home.
- Students have access to the ‘rebuttal toolkit,’ which provides inspiration and guidance for more strategic rebuttals than simply ‘that’s not true.’
- The visual representation of rebuttal chains clarifies points of clash and encourages debaters to consider if they are driving the debate or merely reacting.
- The debatetree structure allows students to quickly prepare rebuttals, allowing for more active listening during debates.
Result - Every debater gets more clash reps than in live-only training.
Delivery & Style
Delivery & Style → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Students often read word-for-word from notes or essays, leading to poor eye contact.
- Students get lost in their own notes, leading to panic at the lectern.
- Students fail to signpost.
With Symbai
Students can use their debate mindmaps (called ‘debatetrees’) as a structured approach to debate notes. The ‘debatetree’ structure:
- Forces students to keep their notes brief
- Utilizes visual icons and connectors to quickly remind debaters of vital information.
- Encourages clear signposting as students move between argument branches.
Result - Students focus on implementing the feedback you provide regarding speech delivery rather than worrying about covering all the content in their notes.
Adjudication & Feedback
Adjudication & Feedback → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Tracking points of clash and other structural aspects in document form is difficult.
- Students struggle to retain the mostly auditory feedback given.
- Weak adjudication = weaker learning loop.
With Symbai
- Map student arguments quickly using Symbai’s drag-and-drop canvas to map arguments in real time, allowing you more time for active listening.
- Coaches receive a performance dashboard that includes suggested points, rebuttals, and the time spent by each student in the debate.
- Each adjudication yields a structured overview that can be shared with students.
Result - Every debate becomes a feedback loop — mapped, measured, and reviewable — so students can finally see why they won or lost, not just that they did.
Case Construction → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Students often draft cases in bullet-point form, which are usually shallow and repetitive.
- Exemplars are rare; students don’t see what a “perfect” case looks like.
- Student cases are often written over several pages, making it difficult to see the ‘big picture’ at a glance.
With Symbai
- Cases can be built visually in minutes with editable AI-generated ‘debatetree’ exemplars that can be edited to the right level.
- Symbai’s ‘debatetree’ visual format makes shallow arguments obvious and helps students expand ideas with a drag-and-drop toolkit.
- Argument types and icons guide students to think strategically.
- A ‘request rebuttal’ tool lets them stress-test cases with AI-generated rebuttals.
- The AI tutor gives instant feedback on structure and content, or can be disabled for independent practice.
Result - Coaches save prep hours. Debaters instantly see how to strengthen their case.
Rebuttal & Clash → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Rebuttal practice is limited due to the constraints of in-person requirements.
- Students default to shallow rebuttals (“That’s not true”) instead of thinking strategically.
- Students struggle to see how individual rebuttals come to form broader points of clash.
With Symbai
- Each student can practise rebuttals against the AI opponent at home.
- Students have access to the ‘rebuttal toolkit,’ which provides inspiration and guidance for more strategic rebuttals than simply ‘that’s not true.’
- The visual representation of rebuttal chains clarifies points of clash and encourages debaters to consider if they are driving the debate or merely reacting.
- The debatetree structure allows students to quickly prepare rebuttals, allowing for more active listening during debates.
Result - Every debater gets more clash reps than in live-only training.
Delivery & Style → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Students often read word-for-word from notes or essays, leading to poor eye contact.
- Students get lost in their own notes, leading to panic at the lectern.
- Students fail to signpost.
With Symbai
Students can use their debate mindmaps (called ‘debatetrees’) as a structured approach to debate notes. The ‘debatetree’ structure:
- Forces students to keep their notes brief
- Utilizes visual icons and connectors to quickly remind debaters of vital information.
- Encourages clear signposting as students move between argument branches.
Result - Students focus on implementing the feedback you provide regarding speech delivery rather than worrying about covering all the content in their notes.
Adjudication & Feedback → Enhanced with Symbai
Without Symbai
- Tracking points of clash and other structural aspects in document form is difficult.
- Students struggle to retain the mostly auditory feedback given.
- Weak adjudication = weaker learning loop.
With Symbai
- Map student arguments quickly using Symbai’s drag-and-drop canvas to map arguments in real time, allowing you more time for active listening.
- Coaches receive a performance dashboard that includes suggested points, rebuttals, and the time spent by each student in the debate.
- Each adjudication yields a structured overview that can be shared with students.
Result - Every debate becomes a feedback loop — mapped, measured, and reviewable — so students can finally see why they won or lost, not just that they did.
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What others are saying
“I believe Symbai has the potential through its unique multi-AI approach to become ubiquitous in the field of critical thinking in the way that Grammarly is associated with writing or Quizlet is with flash cards.”
Nick Hanne
Education Partnerships Manager at the Free Speech Union NZ
“Symbai fills a major gap in education — it equips students to think logically, independently, and critically. Unlike other tools, it offers a neutral, AI-driven platform where students can genuinely practise debating and refine their thinking. It’s like having a 24/7 mentor that challenges without bias. A powerful solution for those seeking depth over group think in today’s education landscape.”
Todd Roughton
Former Principal, HSNZ