Well I think his point was that Zion always looses because the machines always destroy it. He says that they are becoming incresingly efficient at it, or somthing to that effect. It is "The One's" job to pick new people to start Zion again in the next cycle, I don't recall the exact number at the moment cause it's been a while since I watched the movies.
I think that answers your quesiont 
maybe not IDK 
