AI task time horizons
METR's line chart drew 220.9K views on X: 1.4x its typical post and #10 of 26 METR charts we track by views. Read Oct 10, 2026.
METR previously estimated that the time horizon of AI agents on software tasks is doubling every 7 months.
Why it spread
This post spread because it paired a striking claim about AI agents doubling every 7 months with evidence from 9 other benchmarks, drawing 643 likes, 120 reposts, 37 quotes, 266 saves, and 220,856 views, with a quote rate in the top quarter and an independent author.
What worked
- The post leads with a concrete, memorable rate of change, doubling every 7 months, then widens it to 9 other benchmarks across scientific reasoning, math, robotics, computer use, and self-driving.
- The chart is a line chart showing time horizons increasing across many AI domains, which makes a broad trend easy to grasp at a glance.
- It is branded, shows a source line, and comes from an independent author, which supports trust and helps explain the top quarter quote rate and 266 saves.
What to borrow
We could take one clear rate or trend from our own data, then show it as a simple line chart across several related areas so the pattern is visible without extra explanation.
Careful
Do not over-read the engagement as proof that the finding is settled, and do not copy the exact framing as if our data shows the same doubling rate.
Written by our analysis model from the measured numbers above, not by METR.
Make it yours
We have not read this chart's numbers yet
Its own maker appears here once its numbers are read. Until then, these are other real charts in a similar format: each data page starts from that chart's numbers and takes yours.
API · Max
Use this chart via API
On the Max plan you can pull this chart's numbers with the provenance of each one, as JSON or CSV, with its redraw spec, or call it from an agent over MCP. Chart id d54755fd5a57.
Approximate values. Our two readings of this chart agreed only in part (confidence 0.34 of 1), so check the original before you quote a number. The API marks it lowConfidence, and ?min_confidence=0.5 leaves it out.
| Path | Returns | Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/v1/charts/d54755fd5a57 | Title, publisher, date, form, point count; with a Max key, the data link | Open |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/d54755fd5a57/data | Every point with its provenance and confidence, plus the redraw spec. Add ?format=csv for CSV | Max |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/d54755fd5a57/render?view=1 | The draw-only view this page uses | Open |
| POST | /mcp | Tool get_chart_data with this id, for Claude, Cursor and other agents | Max |
curl -s https://viral-chart.com/api/v1/charts/d54755fd5a57/data \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"claude mcp add --transport http viralchart https://viral-chart.com/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"60 requests a minute per key; over that you get 429 with Retry-After. Up to 5 keys per account, made on your account page and shown once. Without Max, the data route answers 402 with a link to the plans. The numbers describe a chart its publisher owns, and every file carries a license note.
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Questions people ask
How far did METR's "AI task time horizons" chart travel?
220,856 views, 643 likes, 120 reposts and 266 saves on X, read Oct 10, 2026. A normal post from @METR_Evals gets about 153K views.
What kind of chart is it?
A line chart. Time horizons increasing across many AI domains.
Can I use METR's chart?
Use the format, not the picture. The chart, logo and design belong to METR. ViralChart redraws the chart type with your numbers and words, and credits the original publisher.