🔌 Switch AI Models Like TV Channels — llm-openrouter 0.6 Is Here

A new AI model drops and you want to try it right now — not in two days after signing up for yet another API.

Simon Willison just released llm-openrouter 0.6, and it solves exactly that problem with one new command:

`llm openrouter refresh`

OpenRouter is like a universal remote for AI — one API key gives you access to models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Moonshot, and dozens more. The llm-openrouter plugin lets you use all of them straight from your terminal.

The catch? When a new model appeared on OpenRouter, you had to wait for the local cache to expire before it showed up in your list. Version 0.6 fixes that — one refresh command and every available model is instantly accessible.

Willison proved the point by testing Kimi 2.6 the moment it launched, prompting it to generate an interactive HTML animation of a pelican riding a bicycle — complete with wing controls. From model announcement to hands-on testing in minutes, not days.

In a world where new AI models drop weekly, the people who can test and compare fastest have a real edge. This tiny update makes that frictionless.