AI vs Humans: Rewriting the Rules of Success - Michelle Frost - NDC London 2025

This talk was recorded at NDC London in London, England. #ndclondon #ndcconferences #developer #softwaredeveloper Attend the next NDC conference near you: https://ndcconferences.com https://ndclondon.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn every day: / @NDC Follow our Social Media! https://www.facebook.com/ndcconferences https://twitter.com/NDC_Conferences https://www.instagram.com/ndc_conferences/ #ai #ethics In this session, we will explore the historical foundations of artificial intelligence evaluation, beginning with Alan Turing’s question: ‘Can machines think?’. Since the inception of the Turing Test, benchmarks for AI success have been closely tied to human capabilities. This has fueled a competitive race where ‘state-of-the-art’ achievement is defined by AI systems that outperform humans. Whether its defeating world champions in the game of GO or surpassing human performance in language tasks, these milestones are often hailed as significant triumphs in the field. However, this framework has its drawbacks. It has given rise to growing concerns about job displacement and frequently overshadows other urgent issues like algorithmic bias, misinformation, and other ethical concerns. As AI increasingly becomes an integral part of our daily lives, it is imperative to question and redefine these traditional, narrow metrics. How can we shift the focus from evaluating AI based on its ability to replace human skills, to a paradigm where AI augments human abilities and fosters new forms of innovation? This talk aims to unpack the loaded history behind our current metrics for evaluating AI, with the goal of shifting the narrative toward a more optimistic future in which AI serves to enhance, rather than replace, human capabilities.