Fireworks AI’s Asteroids demo shows why speed could define the next AI agents

At the Fireworks AI conference in San Francisco, Business Insider’s Alistair Barr reported watching Rob Ferguson, Fireworks’ VP of technology and strategy, show an AI model creating Asteroids from scratch in about five seconds. The demo went beyond a simple recreation: Ferguson then asked the AI to improve the game, turning it into 3-D and adding new weapons, including colorful lasers.

The full create-and-upgrade sequence took about 15 seconds, according to the report. That speed is the central point: the model did not just produce output quickly, it enabled immediate iteration.

Ferguson told Business Insider that speed is crucial if AI agents are going to handle tasks efficiently on users’ behalf. The article frames today’s agent experience as one that often involves waiting, checking progress, and nudging the system along.

That pattern is described as “botsitting,” and the implication is straightforward: faster agents could reduce interruptions and keep users in their workflow. If tasks can be completed or revised in seconds, agents become less like tools that need supervision and more like systems that can move work forward in real time.

The Asteroids example is memorable because it uses a classic video game, but the broader signal is about latency and responsiveness. A fast model can make a first version, accept follow-up instructions, and improve the output before the user loses momentum.

For anyone evaluating AI agents, the key question is not only what the system can do, but how quickly it can do it and revise it. The Fireworks AI demo suggests that faster models could make agent workflows feel more useful, less distracting, and easier to trust in day-to-day work.