METR · July 8, 2026

Because 8 ≈ e², Anthropic's researcher uplift is plausibly >2x

Why it matters

Note: the modeling assumptions and conclusion are Thomas Kwa’s opinion, and others at METR disagree. 1 Also, the math was checked by Claude but not a second human. Introduction Anthropic’s RSI blog post reported that in Q2 2026, Anthropic contributors merged 8× as much code per day as in the 2021-2024 period. What does

My takeaway: Because 8 ≈ e², Anthropic's researcher uplift is plausibly >2x is a model-evaluation signal. The practical read is to tie capability claims to evidence, launch criteria, and regression tests rather than relying on demos or benchmark headlines.