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.
Related terms
- Change Management (AI) — Change management in AI transformation is the structured approach to preparing, equipping, and supporting employees through the behavioral, role, and process changes that AI deployment requires.
- AI Transformation — AI transformation is the redesign of an organization's processes, roles, and decision-making so that AI becomes how the organization works, not a tool the organization owns.
- AI Maturity Model — An AI maturity model is a five-level framework that classifies organizations by how systematically they develop, deploy, and govern AI: Level 1 (ad hoc experimentation), Level 2 (isolated pilots), Level 3 (repeatable processes), Level 4 (managed and measured), Level 5 (optimizing and self-improving).