undefined | Better HN

0 pointssam_14211mo ago0 comments

Models are soon going to start benchmaxxing generating SVGs of pelicans on bikes

0 comments

That’s Simon’s goal. “All I’ve ever wanted from life is a genuinely great SVG vector illustration of a pelican riding a bicycle. My dastardly multi-year plan is to trick multiple AI labs into investing vast resources to cheat at my benchmark until I get one.”

https://simonwillison.net/2025/Nov/13/training-for-pelicans-...

travisgriggs1mo ago

So once that's achieved, I wonder how well it deals with unsuspected variations. E.g.

"Give me an illustration of a bicycle riding by a pelican"

"Give me an illustration of a bicycle riding over a pelican"

"Give me an illustration of a bicycle riding under a flying pelican"

So on and so forth. Or will it start to look like the Studio C sketch about Lobster Bisque: https://youtu.be/A2KCGQhVRTE

embedding-shape1mo ago

Soon? I'd be willing to bet it's been included in the training set at least 6 months by now. Not so obvious so it generates always perfect pelicans on bikes, but sufficiently for the "minibench" to be less useful today than in the past.

Rudybega1mo ago

If only there were some way to test it, like swapping the two nouns in the sentence. Alas.

jsheard1mo ago

Simons been doing this exact test for nearly 18 months now, if vendors want to benchmaxx it then they've had more than enough time to do so already.

stri8ted1mo ago

Exactly. As far as I'm concerned, the benchmark is useless. It's way too easy and rewarding to train on it.

bonoboTP1mo ago

It's just an in-joke, he doesn't intend it as a serious benchmark anymore. I think it's funny.

Legend24401mo ago

Y'all are way too skeptical, no matter what cool thing AI does you'll make up an excuse for how they must somehow be cheating.

2 more replies

pixl971mo ago

I mean if you want to make your own benchmark, simply don't make it public and don't do it often. If your salamander on skis or whatever gets better with time it likely has nothing to do with being benchmaxxed.

ks20481mo ago

Forget the paperclip maximizer - AGI will turn the whole world into pelicans on bikes.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse