# Building AI agents that overcome the complexity cliff

DevFeed: [Building AI agents that overcome the complexity cliff](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/building-ai-agents-that-overcome-the-complexity-cliff-35741.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://temporal.io/blog/building-ai-agents-that-overcome-the-complexity-cliff>)

Author: Ethan Ruhe

Published: 2026-03-10T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Temporal Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/temporal-blog.md>)

Topics: [AI Agent](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-agent.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>), [Framework](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/framework.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>)

Tags: [agents](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agents.md>), [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [building](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/building.md>), [challenges](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/challenges.md>), [complexity](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/complexity.md>), [infrastructure](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/infrastructure.md>), [system](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/system.md>), [system-design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/system-design.md>), [temporal-voices](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/temporal-voices.md>)

## AI overview

This article presents a framework for understanding how AI agent capability grows with execution time and the number of tools and systems an agent can use. It argues that greater capability also increases the likelihood of failures and slows iteration, creating a "complexity cliff" where conventional frameworks may break down and Durable Execution becomes necessary.

## Source excerpt

A principled framework for assessing agent capability -- why advanced agents need different infrastructure.