Co-Evolution (Human-AI)

Reciprocal, adaptive changes that occur when human practitioners and AI systems evolve in response to each other’s actions over time.

Originally from evolutionary biology (Lewin & Volberda, 1999), applied to organizational technology integration: neither humans nor AI remain static after integration. Both continuously reposition themselves to maintain relevance, utility, and performance.

Key dynamics:

• Reciprocal adaptation: changes in AI capabilities drive adaptations in human practices, which in turn influence AI development
• Temporal dynamics: co-evolution occurs across multiple time horizons (sprint cycles, product cycles, career arcs)
• Emergent outcomes: results cannot be predicted from understanding individual components alone

This differs from “technology adoption” which assumes linear implementation of fixed tools. Co-evolution assumes both sides have agency and change.

Related: 07-atom—distributed-agency, 07-molecule—pm-as-ecosystem-orchestrator, 05-atom—agentic-ai-definition