The tracking of models from OpenRouter and Artificial Analysis doesn't actively produce the expansion of available models; it's a feedback loop where observation informs understanding, not the initial input for growth itself.
This is a classic second-order effect where the measurement system documents the output of a separate, generative system—think of it as a speedometer reporting how fast a car is going, not making the car accelerate.
The models expand because creators are developing and deploying them, and providers integrate them into the platform, creating a regime of increasing availability.
For example, if a job board tracks hundreds of new postings daily, that tracking doesn't create the jobs; it merely reflects the market's activity, helping us understand the current hiring climate.