A benchmark summarizes performance under a particular set of tasks and conditions. Its score can support a comparison, but it does not describe every use of the system.
Read what the evaluation measures and how the result was obtained. Consider the examples, the scoring method, and whether the conditions resemble your task. A system can perform well on one evaluation while encountering difficulty in another setting.
Use benchmark results alongside a small representative trial and a review of practical constraints. The goal is to understand the evidence behind a capability claim, rather than choosing a tool solely by a prominent number.
- Read the task and scoring method.
- Compare test conditions with your use case.
- Try representative examples of your own task.
A small working example.
Imagine comparing two assistants on the same small set of real tasks. Record the inputs and judging rules beside the scores.
A note to keep beside it.
Treat an example as part of the instruction. Its omissions and boundaries can influence a result as much as the words that describe the task.
Follow a related question
Identify unnecessary transfers or repeated work.
Build with a little more restraintChoose a frequently repeated action.
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Related background to continue exploring this subject.
Google: an introduction to language models NIST: AI risk management framework