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Dr. Tathagat Varma, profile picture
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The Role of Human Experiences (HX) in GenAI Adoption

My lightning talk at the Salesforce Design Days '25, the hybrid design conference, Oct 9-10, 2025. In this talk, based on my doctoral research on the Theory of Cognitive Chasms, I describe how elements of human experiences (or, "HX") play a critical role in the success of GenAI adoptions. I call HX as the gyroscope of GenAI Adoption.

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The Role of Human Experiences (“HX”) in GenAI Adoption Dr. Tathagat Varma “Theory of Cognitive Chasms: A Grounded Theory of GenAI Adoption”©, 2025 Executive Fellow, Indian School of Business (ISB), India Walmart Global Tech, USA
Personal Views: My presentation, comments, and opinions are provided in my personal capacity and not as a representative of Walmart. They do not re fl ect the views of Walmart and are not endorsed by Walmart. Disclaimer Research Based: Key ideas are based on my doctoral research titled “Theory of Cognitive Chasms: A Grounded Theory of GenAI Adoption”, © 2025. Available https:// eprints.exchange.isb.ed u/id/eprint/2340/
GenAI evolution continues… Questions to ask: • Is a bigger LLM necessarily better? • Is exceeding human performance levels enough? • Is “AI technology” su ff icient for successful adoption?
The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025, MIT NANDA Despite $30–40 billion in enterprise investment into GenAI, 95% of organizations are getting zero return. Just 5% of integrated AI pilots are extracting millions in value, while the vast majority remain stuck with no measurable P&L impact. This divide does not seem to be driven by model quality or regulation, but seems to be determined by approach. The observed phenomenon Then (2019-22) Now (2025)
Describe “What are the drivers and barriers to a successful adoption?” What are the antecedents, moderators, and consequents of successful AI adoptions? My Research Questions… Explain “Why do most GenAI adoptions fail?” How do we explain why most GenAI adoption initiatives seem to fail and use these learnings to predict future outcomes? Predict “How can a f irm improve its GenAI adoption journey?” How does studying the failure modes improve our understanding of GenAI adoption?
Theory of Cognitive Chasms(c) A Grounded Theory of GenAI Adoption “Human Experiences” (“HX”)
Skills Mindsets Human Experiences (HX) Values Capabilities Outcomes
Successful GenAI adoptions are associated with designing solutions that preserve human agency by o ff ering human oversight, control and judgment. • Oversight: Human In the Loop • Controls: The “Kill” Button • Judgment: Do the right thing! Values Values
Cognitive Mindsets are the attitudes and beliefs about learning, purpose, decision-making, and human agency are positively associated with successful GenAI adoptions. Cognitive Mindsets are sequential and accretive. Each mindset is described using three principles. Mindsets Mindsets
• Cognitive Collaboration: The skills and abilities needed for humans to accept agentic AI as co-workers participating in decision-making working together on problem- solving. The “New Division of Labor”! • Algorithmic Problem Solving: Humans and AI collaborate using data-centric probabilistic algorithms, including ensemble approach, to complete a task, or make a decision. Skills Skills
Cognitive Decision Making: This is the organizational capability to make data-informed and algorithmically curated decisions based on emergent and pervasive learning, leading to the cognitive empowerment of humans and agents in roles that involve cognitive collaboration. Capabilities Capabilities
• Productivity: How can I use GenAI to do my job faster, better, cheaper? • Experiences: How does using GenAI a ff ect my experiences? • Identity: What does being a human mean in an AI-world? • Social Good: How does using AI create a future that’s good for the whole society? Outcomes Outcomes
Outcomes Capabilities Skills Mindsets HX of GenAI Adoption Values
• AI is a “general purpose technology” that can already do many things now or in the near future. However, should it do it all? • GenAI is a potent technology, and Agentic AI might be even better… but is that su ff icient for successful adoption? • Human Experiences (EX) is the gyroscope of GenAI adoption - they keep the boat steady while it navigates choppy waters! Recap
My book…
Theory of Cognitive Chasms: A Grounded Theory of GenAI Adoption: My doctoral dissertation at Indian School of Business (ISB): https://eprints.exchange.isb.edu/id/eprint/2340/ PhD Colloquium at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), Dec 2024: https:// www.youtube.com/live/UBmkl7Vpr0Q?si=lqw2JJUVhUI8cWL7 Cognitive Chasms: A Typology of GenAI Failure Modes: My talk at Walmart: https:// www.slideshare.net/slideshow/cognitive-chasms-a-typology-of-genai-failure-failure-modes/279832748 Theory of Cognitive Chasms: Lecture at Sam Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/theory-of-cognitive-chasms-failure-modes-of-genai-adoption/ 278463456 GenAI Value Spectrum – delivering the “true value” from GenAI initiatives: Keynote at IEEE Bangalore Technology Conference (BTC) 2024: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/genai-value- spectrum-delivering-the-true-value-from-genai-initiatives/273734671 The role of Cognitive Mindset in GenAI Adoption: Invited talk at Project Management Institute (PMI) Bangalore Chapter Footprints: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/the-role-of-cognitive-mindset-in- genai-adoption-pdf/274055306 Managing Fast-Evolving GenAI Adoptions: Invited Keynote at Siemens Agile Conference 2024: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/managing-fast-evolving-genai-technology-adoptions/ 273470070 References