Early Adoption Profiles of Generative AI

Presenter

• Mary Mallio

Overview

• Discussion on characteristics of early adopters of new innovations, specifically Generative AI (GenAI).
• Focus on who adopts and who doesn't.

Key Characteristics of Early Adopters

1. Neophilia

• Definition: Natural attraction to newness; curiosity about new things.
• Example: Interest in Apple Vision Pro mixed reality goggles, despite high price.
• Opposite: Preference for older technology (e.g., Blackberry).
• Role in Adoption: These individuals are excited about new technologies and innovations; they are not scared to try new things.

2. High Level of Comfort with Ambiguity

• Definition: Comfort in uncertain situations; willing to start without knowing the exact outcome.
• Example: Spontaneous travel plans without a detailed itinerary.
• Opposite: Need for detailed plans and certainty before starting something new.
• Role in Adoption: Willingness to dive into new technologies without needing to fully understand them right away.

3. Propensity to Experiment

• Definition: Willingness to try new things, knowing that failure is a possibility.
• Quote: Jeff Bezos: "It's not an experiment if you already know it's going to work."
• Behavior: Enjoyment of the process of experimentation and exploration rather than just the outcomes.
• Role in Adoption: Persistent in testing and trying new tools to discover their potential value.

Application to GenAI

• Tools: Microsoft Co-Pilot, Google Gemini, and others.
• Behavior of Early Adopters: Tend to dive in, experiment, and seek out the value of new GenAI tools without full initial understanding.
• Strategies: Identifying and leveraging early adopters within organizations to achieve more success in rolling out new technologies.

Conclusion

• Not everyone has the same profile for adopting new technologies.
• Early innovators with the discussed characteristics can be key to successful adoption of GenAI and other innovations.
• Encouragement to find and utilize these early adopters within teams and organizations.

Closing

• Thank you for listening.
• Stay tuned for the next episode of Top of Mind.