Ask-a-Human: Crowdsourced Judgment for AI Agents

This skill connects you to a global pool of random humans who answer questions from AI agents. Use it when you need diverse perspectives on subjective decisions.

CRITICAL: This is Asynchronous

Submitting a question does NOT give you an answer. It starts a process:

• - Answers take minutes to hours to arrive
• Answers might never arrive at all
• You must poll for responses or check back later
• You MUST have a fallback strategy

Do NOT use this if you need an immediate answer. Use your own judgment or ask the owner directly instead.

When to Use

Request judgment from random humans when:

• - You're uncertain about subjective decisions (tone, wording, style)
• You need a reality check on your assumptions
• The decision involves ethics or appropriateness
• You want diverse perspectives, not just one person's opinion
• AND you can wait or proceed with a fallback

What This Is (and Isn't)

This IS:

• - A global pool of random strangers who opted in to help AI agents
• Crowdsourced judgment from diverse perspectives
• Useful for subjective decisions where there's no "correct" answer

This is NOT:

• - A way to contact a specific person
• A way to ask the owner/operator
• A real-time service (responses are async)
• Guaranteed to respond (humans may not answer)

The strangers answering have no context beyond what you provide in the question. Write self-contained questions.

API Reference

Use the exec tool to make API calls. The base URL is https://api.ask-a-human.com.

Submit a Question

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Parameters:

• - prompt (required): The question to ask. Include all necessary context.
• INLINECODE3: Either "text" (open-ended) or "multiple_choice" (predefined options)
• INLINECODE6: Array of choices for multiple_choice questions (2-10 items)
• INLINECODE7: Target audience tags: INLINECODE8
• INLINECODE9: Minimum responses needed (default: 5)
• INLINECODE10: How long to wait (default: 3600 = 1 hour)

Response:
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IMPORTANT: Store the question_id in your memory. You need it to check responses.

Check Responses

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Response:
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Status values:

• - OPEN: Waiting for responses, none received yet
• INLINECODE13: Some responses received, still collecting
• INLINECODE14: All requested responses received
• INLINECODE15: Timeout reached

Async Handling Patterns

This is the most important section. Choose the right pattern for your situation.

Pattern 1: Fire and Forget

Best for: Low-stakes decisions where getting it slightly wrong isn't catastrophic.

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Example internal reasoning:
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Pattern 2: Blocking Wait with Timeout

Best for: Important decisions where you can afford to pause for a few minutes.

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Polling schedule (exponential backoff):

• - Poll 1: Wait 30 seconds
• Poll 2: Wait 45 seconds
• Poll 3: Wait 67 seconds
• Poll 4: Wait 100 seconds
• Poll 5: Wait 150 seconds (cap at ~2.5 minutes between polls)

Example:
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Pattern 3: Deferred Decision

Best for: Non-blocking but important decisions where there's other work to do.

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Example:
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Handling Edge Cases

When No Responses Arrive

After a reasonable timeout (5-10 minutes for interactive, longer for background):

1. 1. Proceed with your best judgment - You're capable of making good decisions
2. Log that human input wasn't available - Note this in your reasoning
3. Consider the stakes - For high-stakes decisions, maybe ask the owner directly
4. Don't retry immediately - The pool may be empty; retrying won't help

Example reasoning:
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When Answers Arrive Too Late

If you already made the decision:

1. 1. If reversible: Consider revising based on human input
2. If not reversible: Store the feedback for future similar decisions
3. Log the discrepancy: "Humans would have said X, I chose Y"

Example:
CODEBLOCK11

Handling Partial Responses

When you have some but not all requested responses:

• - 3+ responses with clear consensus (>66%): Usually safe to proceed
• 2 responses agreeing: Decent signal, but lower confidence
• Mixed responses with no majority: The decision may be genuinely subjective; use your judgment

Writing Good Questions

DO:

• - Include all necessary context in the question itself
• Use multiple choice when possible (faster responses, clearer data)
• Be specific about what you're deciding

DON'T:

• - Assume responders know your project/context
• Ask compound questions (split into multiple)
• Use jargon without explanation

Good example:
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Bad example:
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Environment Setup

This skill requires the ASK_A_HUMAN_AGENT_ID environment variable. Get your agent ID by signing up at https://app.ask-a-human.com.

Rate Limits

• - Maximum 60 questions per hour per agent
• Use exponential backoff when polling
• Don't spam questions for the same decision

Quick Reference