CONCEPT
Observability
The fifth of Rogers's attributes — the degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others — and the attribute most distorted in the AI transition by viral demonstration and selective visibility.
Observability measures how visible the results of adoption are to potential adopters watching others. Rogers found that high observability accelerates diffusion because it allows prospective adopters to evaluate the innovation through others' experience, without needing to conduct their own trials. It is particularly important for crossing from early to mainstream adoption, where the majority relies heavily on signals from peers. The AI transition has introduced a new form of observability — viral demonstration — that amplifies the innovation's best-case performance while concealing typical performance, producing inflated expectations that Rogers warned produce higher rates of disappointment and discontinuation.
In The You On AI Field Guide
Traditional observability operates through local observation. The farmer sees the neighbor's fields; the physician notices colleagues' patients improving; the teacher observes another classroom. This kind of observation is continuous, contextualized, and includes failures alongside successes.
AI observability operates differently. Developers post demonstrations on X showing spectacular AI-assisted builds. Writers share polished outputs generated in minutes. Executives circulate case