The AI industry has a benchmark problem. Not because we have too many benchmarks. Because too many companies treat them like trophies instead of tools.
A benchmark's primary job is to make your product better. Publishing the score is secondary. The test I use: a benchmark should challenge your engineers before it impresses your marketing team.
If it isn't making your product better, it probably isn't serving its most important purpose.
Why does the AI industry have a benchmark problem?
If you've followed AI over the past year, you've seen an endless stream of benchmark announcements. Every week another model reaches the top of another leaderboard. Every release claims a new state of the art. Every company seems to have a chart proving they're the best.
