Benchmarks Are Memes: How What We Measure Shapes AI—and Us - Alex Duffy

Benchmarks as Memes in AI - Benchmarks are presented as memes that shape AI development, influencing what models are trained and tested on [1][3][8] - The AI industry faces a problem of benchmark saturation, as models become too good at existing benchmarks, diminishing their value [5][6] - There's an opportunity for individuals to create new benchmarks that define what AI models should excel at, shaping the future of AI capabilities [7][13] The Lifecycle and Impact of Benchmarks - The typical benchmark lifecycle involves an idea spreading, becoming a meme, and eventually being saturated as models train on it [8] - Benchmarks can have unintended consequences, such as reinforcing biases if not designed thoughtfully, as seen with the Chat-GPT thumbs-up/thumbs-down benchmarking [14] - The industry should focus on creating benchmarks that empower people and promote agency, rather than treating them as mere data points [16] Qualities of Effective Benchmarks - Great benchmarks should be multifaceted, rewarding creativity, accessible to both small and large models, generative, evolutionary, and experiential [17][18][19] - The industry needs more "squishy," non-static benchmarks for areas like ethics, society, and art, requiring subject matter expertise [34][35] - Benchmarks can be used to build trust in AI by allowing people to define goals, provide feedback, and see AI improve, fostering a sense of importance and control [37] AI Diplomacy Benchmark - AI Diplomacy is presented as an example of a benchmark that mimics real-world situations, testing models' abilities to negotiate, form alliances, and betray each other [20][22][23] - The AI Diplomacy benchmark revealed interesting personality traits in different models, such as 03 being a schemer and Claude models being naively optimistic [24][25][30] - The AI Diplomacy benchmark highlighted the importance of social aspects and convincing others, with models like Llama performing well due to their social skills [31]