benchmark — A standard public test set for comparing AI models — the shared scoreboards behind every "model X beats model Y" claim.
AI agent — An AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.
Why it matters
Specific timing numbers across three benchmarks quantify exactly how much accuracy Mercury 2.5 trades for a 2-3x speed advantage, useful for deciding when a fast weak model beats a slow strong one.
