Multi-AI Consultant

Consult external AIs for second opinions when Claude Code is stuck or making critical decisions.

What This Skill Does

This skill enables future Claude Code sessions to consult other AIs when:

• Stuck on a bug after one failed attempt
• Making architectural decisions
• Security concerns need validation
• Fresh perspective needed

Key innovation: Uses existing CLI tools (gemini, codex) instead of building MCP servers - much simpler and more maintainable.

When to Use This Skill

Automatic Triggers (No User Action Needed)

Claude Code should automatically suggest using this skill when:

1. After 1 failed debugging attempt

• Tried one approach to fix a bug
• Still not working or different error
• → Suggest: "Should I consult [Gemini|Fresh Claude] for a second opinion?"

1. Before architectural decisions

• Significant design choices (state management, routing, data flow)
• Framework selection
• Database schema design
• → Auto-consult (mention to user): "Consulting Gemini for architectural validation..."

1. Security changes

• Authentication logic
• Authorization rules
• Cryptography
• Input validation
• → Auto-consult: "Consulting Gemini to verify security approach..."

1. When uncertain

• Multiple valid approaches
• Trade-offs not clear
• Conflicting advice in documentation
• → Suggest: "Would you like me to consult another AI for additional perspective?"

Manual Invocation (User Commands)

User can explicitly request consultation with:

• /consult-gemini [question] - Gemini 2.5 Pro with thinking, search, grounding
• /consult-codex [question] - OpenAI GPT-4 via Codex CLI (repo-aware)
• /consult-claude [question] - Fresh Claude subagent (free, fast)
• /consult-ai [question] - Router that asks which AI to use

The Three AIs

How It Works

Architecture

Claude Code encounters bug/decision
        ↓
Suggests consultation (or user requests)
        ↓
User approves
        ↓
Execute appropriate slash command
        ↓
CLI command calls external AI
        ↓
Parse response
        ↓
Synthesize: Claude's analysis + External AI's analysis
        ↓
Present 5-part comparison
        ↓
Ask permission to implement

The 5-Part Synthesis Format

Every consultation must follow this format (prevents parroting):

1. 🤖 My Analysis - Claude's original reasoning and attempts
2. 💎/🔷/🔄 Other AI's Analysis - External AI's complete response
3. 🔍 Key Differences - Agreement, divergence, what each AI caught/missed
4. ⚡ Synthesis - Combined perspective, root cause, trade-offs
5. ✅ Recommended Action - Specific next steps with file paths/line numbers

End with: "Should I proceed with this approach?"

Setup Instructions

1. Install CLIs

Gemini CLI (required):

npm install -g @google/generative-ai-cli
export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key"

Get API key: https://aistudio.google.com/apikey

Codex CLI (optional):

npm install -g codex
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."

Get API key: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys

Fresh Claude: Built-in (uses Task tool, no setup)

2. Install Skill

cd ~/.claude/skills
git clone [this-repo] multi-ai-consultant
# OR symlink from development location

3. Copy Templates to Project

# Copy to project root
cp ~/.claude/skills/multi-ai-consultant/templates/GEMINI.md ./
cp ~/.claude/skills/multi-ai-consultant/templates/codex.md ./
cp ~/.claude/skills/multi-ai-consultant/templates/.geminiignore ./

# Copy log parser (optional)
cp ~/.claude/skills/multi-ai-consultant/templates/consultation-log-parser.sh ~/bin/
chmod +x ~/bin/consultation-log-parser.sh

4. Verify Installation

# Test Gemini CLI
gemini -p "test" && echo "✅ Gemini working"

# Test Codex CLI (if installed)
codex exec "test" --yolo && echo "✅ Codex working"

# Test skill discovery
# Ask Claude Code: "I'm stuck on this bug, can you help?"
# Claude should suggest consultation

Usage Examples

Example 1: Stuck on Bug

Scenario: JWT authentication failing after one attempt

Claude's process:

1. Try initial fix (token expiry check)
2. Still failing (now "invalid signature" error)
3. → Automatically suggest consultation
4. User approves
5. Execute /consult-gemini with:
   - Problem: 401 error details
   - What was tried: token expiry fix
   - Current status: invalid signature error
   - Context: @src/auth/session.ts @src/middleware/jwt.ts
6. Gemini finds: Using process.env instead of env binding (Cloudflare)
7. Synthesize both perspectives
8. Ask permission to implement Gemini's fix

Result: Bug fixed with second opinion, avoided 2-3 more trial-and-error attempts

Example 2: Architecture Decision

Scenario: Choosing state management for new feature

Claude's process:

1. User asks: "How should we handle state for this feature?"
2. → Auto-consult Gemini (architectural decision)
3. Execute /consult-gemini with:
   - Problem: State management choice
   - Options considered: Redux, Zustand, Context
   - Context: @src/ (existing patterns)
4. Gemini searches for latest React state management best practices
5. Synthesize Claude's + Gemini's analysis
6. Present recommendation with trade-offs

Result: Informed decision with latest best practices

Example 3: Manual Consultation

User: "I want a second opinion on this refactoring"

Claude's process:

1. User explicitly requests consultation
2. Ask which AI: Gemini, Codex, or Fresh Claude?
3. User chooses Codex (wants repo-aware analysis)
4. Execute /consult-codex with:
   - Problem: Refactoring proposal
   - Context: (Codex scans repo automatically)
5. Codex checks consistency with existing code
6. Synthesize both perspectives
7. Present recommendation

Result: Validation of refactoring approach + consistency check

Slash Commands

/consult-gemini [question]

Use when: Need web research, latest docs, extended thinking

What it does:

1. Pre-flight check (Gemini CLI working?)
2. Smart context selection based on problem type
3. Execute with locked config: gemini-2.5-pro --thinking --google-search --grounding
4. Parse JSON response
5. Synthesize with 5-part format
6. Log cost to ~/.claude/ai-consultations/consultations.log

Example:

/consult-gemini Is this JWT validation secure by 2025 standards?

Context: Uses @<path> syntax for selective context

System instructions: Auto-loads GEMINI.md from project root

Privacy: Respects .gitignore + .geminiignore

/consult-codex [question]

Use when: Need repo-aware analysis, code review, OpenAI reasoning

What it does:

1. Pre-flight check (OpenAI API key valid?)
2. cd to project directory (Codex scans automatically)
3. Execute with --yolo flag: codex exec - -m gpt-4-turbo --yolo
4. Parse output from temp file
5. Synthesize with 5-part format
6. Log cost (estimated tokens)

Example:

/consult-codex Review this codebase for performance issues

Context: Repo-aware (automatically reads all non-gitignored files)

System instructions: Auto-loads codex.md from project root or ~/.codex/instructions.md

Privacy: Respects .gitignore, warns if not in Git repo

/consult-claude [question]

Use when: Quick second opinion, free, fresh perspective

What it does:

1. Gather context with Read tool
2. Build detailed prompt for subagent
3. Launch Task tool (general-purpose subagent)
4. Receive fresh perspective
5. Synthesize with 5-part format
6. Log consultation (free, but tracked)

Example:

/consult-claude Am I missing something obvious in this state management bug?

Context: You manually read relevant files and pass inline

Advantages: Free, same capabilities, fast, fresh perspective

Limitations: No web search, no extended thinking, same knowledge cutoff

/consult-ai [question]

Use when: Unsure which AI to use

What it does:

1. Analyze problem type (bug, architecture, security, etc.)
2. Recommend which AI based on needs
3. Ask user to choose
4. Route to appropriate command

Example:

/consult-ai How should we structure this microservices architecture?

→ Recommends Gemini (needs web research for latest patterns)
→ User approves
→ Executes /consult-gemini internally

Decision factors:

• Need web research? → Gemini
• Need repo-aware? → Codex
• Need budget-friendly? → Fresh Claude
• Need extended thinking? → Gemini
• Need fresh perspective? → Fresh Claude

Templates

GEMINI.md (Project Root)

System instructions for Gemini consultations. Enforces:

• 5-part response format
• Comparison with Claude's analysis
• Web search for latest docs
• Specific code references
• No parroting

Auto-loaded: Place in project root, Gemini CLI reads automatically

codex.md (Project Root or ~/.codex/instructions.md)

System instructions for Codex consultations. Enforces:

• 5-part response format
• Repo-aware analysis
• Consistency checks
• Impact assessment
• Specific file references

Auto-loaded: Codex CLI reads from project root or global config

.geminiignore (Project Root)

Extra privacy exclusions beyond .gitignore. Excludes:

• .env* files
• *secret*, *credentials*
• Build artifacts
• Large media files
• API keys and tokens

Auto-loaded: Gemini CLI respects this file

consultation-log-parser.sh

View consultation history:

consultation-log-parser.sh           # Last 10
consultation-log-parser.sh --all     # All consultations
consultation-log-parser.sh --summary # Stats only
consultation-log-parser.sh --ai gemini # Filter by AI

Log format: timestamp,ai,model,input_tokens,output_tokens,cost,project_path

Cost Tracking

Every consultation is logged to ~/.claude/ai-consultations/consultations.log

Format:

2025-11-07T14:23:45-05:00,gemini,gemini-2.5-pro,15420,850,0.1834,/home/user/project
2025-11-07T15:10:22-05:00,codex,gpt-4-turbo,8230,430,0.0952,/home/user/project
2025-11-07T16:05:11-05:00,claude-subagent,claude-sonnet-4-5,0,0,0.00,/home/user/project

View logs:

consultation-log-parser.sh --summary
# Total consultations: 47
# Gemini: 23, Codex: 12, Fresh Claude: 12
# Total cost: $8.45

Pricing (verify current rates):

• Gemini 2.5 Pro: ~$0.000015/input token, ~$0.00006/output token
• GPT-4 Turbo: ~$0.00001/input token, ~$0.00003/output token
• Fresh Claude: Free (same API call)

Privacy & Security

Automatic Protection

Both CLIs respect .gitignore automatically. Files in .gitignore are never sent.

Additional Protection (.geminiignore)

Create .geminiignore in project root for extra exclusions:

*.env*
*secret*
*credentials*
.dev.vars
wrangler.toml

Pre-Consultation Check

Claude Code should warn if:

• Sensitive file patterns detected in context
• Not in Git repo (Codex)
• Large context (>100k tokens estimated)

Ask permission: "About to send context to [AI]. Files include: [list]. Proceed?"

Manual Verification

Before consultation, user can check:

# What will be sent to Gemini
ls -la @src/

# Check gitignore is working
git status --ignored

Known Issues & Solutions

1. CLI Not Installed

Error: gemini: command not found or codex: command not found

Fix:

npm install -g @google/generative-ai-cli
npm install -g codex

Prevention: Pre-flight checks in slash commands

2. API Keys Invalid

Error: "API key invalid" or authentication failures

Fix:

export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."

# Or add to ~/.bashrc
echo 'export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Prevention: Pre-flight checks test API before consultation

3. Context Too Large

Error: Token limit exceeded or very expensive consultation

Fix: Use smart context selection

• Bug: Just buggy file + imports (not entire codebase)
• Architecture: Relevant directories only
• Use @path/to/specific/file.ts not @.

Prevention: Slash commands guide smart context selection

4. Privacy Leaks

Risk: Accidentally sending .env or secrets

Fix:

• Both CLIs respect .gitignore (automatic)
• Create .geminiignore for extra protection
• Claude warns if sensitive patterns detected

Prevention: Always check .gitignore is configured

5. Cost Overruns

Issue: Expensive consultations accumulating

Fix:

• Check logs: consultation-log-parser.sh --summary
• Use Fresh Claude for quick questions (free)
• Use smart context (specific files, not entire repo)

Prevention: Cost tracking + warnings for large context

6. Codex Hanging

Error: codex exec hangs waiting for approval

Fix: Always use --yolo flag

Prevention: Slash command includes --yolo by default (hard to miss)

7. JSON Parsing Fails (Gemini)

Error: jq: parse error

Fix: Check exit code before parsing, fall back to plain text

Prevention: Slash command checks exit code first

8. Not in Git Repo (Codex)

Warning: Codex warns if not in Git repo (safety feature)

Fix: Add --skip-git-repo-check flag if appropriate

Prevention: Slash command includes flag

Token Efficiency

Without This Skill

Typical scenario (stuck on bug):

1. Try approach 1 (~4k tokens)
2. Research CLI syntax (~3k tokens)
3. Format response (~2k tokens)
4. Try approach 2 (~4k tokens)
5. Research documentation (~3k tokens)
6. Try approach 3 (~4k tokens)

Total: ~20k tokens, 30-45 minutes

With This Skill

Same scenario:

1. Try approach 1 (~4k tokens)
2. Execute /consult-gemini (~1k tokens to execute)
3. Gemini finds issue (billed separately, but <5k tokens)
4. Implement fix (~3k tokens)

Total: ~8k tokens, 5-10 minutes

Savings: ~60% tokens, ~75% time

Value: Gemini's web search finds issue Claude couldn't

Success Metrics

Time Efficiency

• Without skill: 30-45 minutes (trial and error)
• With skill: 5-10 minutes (consultation + fix)
• Savings: ~75%

Token Efficiency

• Without skill: ~20k tokens (multiple attempts)
• With skill: ~8k tokens (one consultation)
• Savings: ~60%

Error Prevention

• Manual CLI use: 3-5 common errors (flags, parsing, privacy)
• With skill: 0 errors (all handled by commands)
• Prevention: 100%

Quality

• Manual: Risk of not synthesizing (just copying external AI)
• With skill: Forced synthesis via GEMINI.md/codex.md
• Improvement: Guaranteed value-add

Why CLI Approach (Not MCP)?

Winner: CLI approach - 80% less effort, same functionality

Troubleshooting

Gemini Not Working

# Check CLI installed
which gemini

# Check API key set
echo $GEMINI_API_KEY

# Test manually
gemini -p "test"

# Check API key valid
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"contents":[{"parts":[{"text":"test"}]}]}' \
  "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-pro:generateContent?key=$GEMINI_API_KEY"

Codex Not Working

# Check CLI installed
which codex

# Check API key set (if using API key auth)
echo $OPENAI_API_KEY

# Test manually
echo "test" | codex exec - --yolo

# Check OpenAI API (if installed)
openai api models.list

Fresh Claude Not Working

# Fresh Claude uses Task tool (built-in)
# If Task tool fails, check Claude Code CLI status
claude --version

Skill Not Discovered

# Check skill installed
ls -la ~/.claude/skills/multi-ai-consultant

# Check SKILL.md has YAML frontmatter
head -20 ~/.claude/skills/multi-ai-consultant/SKILL.md

# Ask Claude Code to list skills
# It should mention multi-ai-consultant

Contributing

Found an issue?

• Document it in Known Issues section
• Include fix/workaround
• Update slash commands to prevent

Adding new AI?

• Create new slash command: commands/consult-newai.md
• Add to router: Update commands/consult-ai.md
• Create template: templates/newai.md (if CLI supports system instructions)
• Update documentation

Improving synthesis?

• Edit templates: templates/GEMINI.md, templates/codex.md
• Test with real consultations
• Measure before/after quality

References

External Resources

• Gemini CLI: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/cli
• OpenAI Codex: https://www.npmjs.com/package/codex
• OpenAI API: https://platform.openai.com/docs
• Gemini API Pricing: https://ai.google.dev/pricing
• OpenAI Pricing: https://openai.com/pricing

Internal Files

• Planning docs: planning/multi-ai-consultant-*.md
• Slash commands: commands/*.md
• Templates: templates/*
• Scripts: scripts/*

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file

Last Updated: 2025-11-07 Status: Production Ready Maintainer: Jeremy Dawes | [email protected] | https://jezweb.com.au