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Best AI model over time
Which model led the ArtificialWatch bench index each day since Jul 21, 2026, and for how long. The index combines the public leaderboards (the median of each model's percentile across them); this page shows it as it stood each day.
Jul 21, 2026today
Every run at #1
| Model | From | To | Days at #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5Anthropic | Sep 24, 2026 | today | 33 |
| Claude Opus 5Anthropic | Aug 14, 2026 | Sep 23, 2026 | 41 |
| Claude Fable 5Anthropic | Aug 5, 2026 | Aug 13, 2026 | 9 |
| Claude Opus 5Anthropic | Jul 25, 2026 | Aug 4, 2026 | 11 |
| Claude Fable 5Anthropic | Jul 21, 2026 | Jul 24, 2026 | 4 |
Days at #1, in total
- Claude Opus 5: 52 days (2 runs)
- Claude Opus 5.5: 33 days
- Claude Fable 5: 13 days (2 runs)
Quick answers
Which AI model is #1 right now?
Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic), at the top of the ArtificialWatch bench index since September 24, 2026: 33 days so far.
Which AI model has held #1 the longest?
In a single run, Claude Opus 5: 41 days, from August 14, 2026 to September 23, 2026. In total, Claude Opus 5 leads with 52 days at #1 across 2 separate runs.
How often does the #1 AI model change?
It has changed 4 times since July 21, 2026, the first day on this record. Each change is the day a different model moved to the top of the index.
How is the #1 decided?
By the ArtificialWatch bench index: each public leaderboard's scores become percentile ranks, and a model's index is the median of its percentiles across the boards that rate it. This page shows the index as it stood each day, so a model's place reflects the boards and models on the table at the time.
Today's full ranking: the best AI model right now and the bench index. For an alert when a new model goes live, watch free.
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<a href="https://artificialwatch.com/best-ai-model/history">Best AI model over time</a>ArtificialWatch, "Best AI model over time", https://artificialwatch.com/best-ai-model/historyThe next #1 could land any day. Get an alert when it does.
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