[Chaosvex]

> and it’s taking longer and longer to realize that they can’t

For something to take "longer and longer" to realise, doesn't they imply that it's been realised at least once before or that there was an expected deadline for the realisation?

Okay, that's a nitpick.

[mrec]

I read it as "agents can't program, and with each new generation of agents it's taking longer and longer to realize that that specific iteration can't". Maybe taking the Principle of Charity too far, I dunno.

[Chaosvex]

Nah, that's fair, I was just being a bit tongue-in-cheek.