Strategy
Technology Adoption Lifecycle
The technology adoption lifecycle is the Everett Rogers model that classifies adopters of new technology into five groups: innovators (2.5%), early adopters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%), and laggards (16%). The 'chasm' between early adopters and the early majority is the most common point of failure for enterprise AI deployments.
AI transformation programs must explicitly account for where each stakeholder group sits on the adoption curve. Early adopters are your internal champions; the early majority needs demonstrated ROI from pilots before committing. Change management strategies differ sharply across groups — a uniform rollout approach fails the majority.
Technology Adoption Lifecycle in practice
Inside one organization the same curve appears team by team: a few volunteers try an AI assistant in the first weeks, most staff wait for proof from colleagues, and a minority keeps the old way until the process itself changes. A common response is to train internal champions first, so the majority sees results from peers before the wider rollout. Remolda runs this as AI champions training, part of its AI training programs.
Related terms
- Change Management (AI) · Strategy
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