Sometimes agents were so influenced by one another that they lost track of their goal and did something else instead. In that sense, the program was very childlike, unpredictable and easily distracted. As one programmer put it - trying to program distributed intelligence is like telling a five year old kid to go to his room and change his clothes. He may do that, but he is equally likely to do something else and never return.
The text illustrates how agents in a distributed intelligence program can be easily swayed by each other, leading them off course from their intended objectives. This lack of focus can make their behavior reminiscent of children, who are known for being unpredictable and easily distracted.
One programmer draws an analogy, comparing the challenge of programming distributed intelligence to instructing a child to change their clothes. While the child might follow the directive, they may instead become sidetracked and forget their task entirely, highlighting the difficulties faced in managing such systems.
