Charting the smartest AI model you can afford: past ~1 minute, waiting barely helps
randal_olson · x · 2026-10-01
- Randal Olson built a chart from Artificial Analysis data answering: what's the smartest model you can afford at the speed you need?
- Key finding: beyond roughly a minute of end-to-end reply time, waiting longer barely buys intelligence — paying for a better model does.
- Each cell shows the best Intelligence Index score within both cost and latency limits.
- Charts made with his open-source evident-charts agent skill, which teaches coding agents to produce and self-check clear, honest charts.
Related event: Data Visualization Reveals Best-Value Smart AI Models(2 posts)→
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