Build a Small, Honest Evaluation

The concept

An evaluation is a defined procedure for comparing outputs with a task standard. It needs realistic inputs, clear scoring rules, and enough difficult cases to expose meaningful failures. Decide the criteria before seeing the new tool's answers. Otherwise it is easy to reward whatever the tool happens to do well.

Worked example

A fictional public information desk tests a drafting assistant on 30 questions: ten routine requests, ten ambiguous requests, and ten questions the desk cannot answer. Reviewers independently score factual accuracy, useful uncertainty, and whether the answer follows the supplied materials. They compare the assistant with the current process and inspect disagreements. An impressive average cannot compensate for fabricated office opening times that would send visitors to a closed building.

Limits and judgment

Thirty examples support a pilot decision, not a universal reliability claim. Keep the test private during development where possible, add cases from real failures, and report the sample's composition. A tool can pass a benchmark while failing the actual workflow, especially if users supply different information or reviewers quietly repair substantial errors.

RETRIEVE. REASON. REMEMBER.

Knowledge check.

Choose one answer for each question, then check your reasoning.