What is Cognitive Ergonomics and Why Does It Matter?

There is a statistic that most have encountered at least once: the time it takes for a platform to reach 100 million users.

ChatGPT Statistics | © Copyright, Source: demandsage

Exponential growth is not a universal rule for every new platform, but for a select few, it is (see image). What changed between Netflix, Facebook, and ChatGPT? Why did TikTok take six times less time than Facebook to reach 100 million users? And how did ChatGPT accomplish this milestone in just two months?

A partial answer lies in cognitive ergonomics—the ease with which an object, physical or virtual, can be adopted by the human brain and subsequently used efficiently and effectively. Netflix debuted as the first subscription-based streaming platform, a markedly different adoption challenge from TikTok, which emerged in the wake of the social media explosion led by Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (now X). By the time TikTok arrived, the human brain was already accustomed to social communication structures—mentions, connections, profiles, and news feeds.

A similar argument applies to ChatGPT, though its resemblance is not to previous interfaces or technologies, but rather to the very first technology available to humans: language. While AI has been evolving in research centers since the 1950s, experts have long emphasized the existence of an AI that is cumbersome, complex, and far removed from everyday use [1]. The interfaces of GPT, Midjourney, Claude, Gemini, and others, however, are so immediate and cognitively ergonomic that their adoption is not only nearly instantaneous but also seamlessly integrates into daily routines. [2]

In a conversation with Massimo Lupi, Professor of Learning & Development at the University of Milan and Organizational Behaviour at GSOM at the Polytechnic University of Milan, we reflected on the radical transformation of personal computers in the 1990s. [3] The true revolution was not merely the compact and manageable size of the machine, but the shift from requiring programming knowledge for even the simplest tasks (such as creating a text document) to the ability to simply click on the Word icon and open a blank page for writing. This is the key transition: behind the Word icon, the machine’s complexity is hidden from the user. The user does not need to understand the algorithms triggered by a click; they only need to know how to type on a QWERTY keyboard (which emerged as the most cognitively ergonomic for machine-based writing) and how to select icons to modify font, colors, and formatting.

Such changes are not exclusive to contemporary technologies—they are simply occurring at a faster pace than in the past. How many of us understand the intricate workings of an internal combustion engine when driving, or know how to start a fire in nature while using a stovetop to make morning coffee? Whether physical or virtual, interfaces conceal complexity, making the use of objects and technologies ergonomic. This is precisely what ChatGPT represents.

A second trend is intertwined with this transformation: the speed of adoption, the continuous sharing within virtual networks that expands our lived experience, and the technological hype cycle (as famously outlined by Gartner). These dynamics render the relationship between technology, workers, and companies more unstable and complex. It is the “pop transformation” of technology. Discussing this phenomenon on Nova24, a blog by colleague Marco Minghetti, [4] within a broader reflection on “pop management”—a trend reshaping the relationship between companies, managers, and employees—we noted how pop technologies are fundamentally altering the questions employees ask of their companies.

Let us explain.

It is no longer companies that dictate which tools should be used; rather, it is the collective workforce that demands companies change the way they operate. This shift has already occurred in synchronous and asynchronous work, from video calls to Teams, chats, and online communities that resemble social networks more than traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems or email threads (Facebook’s failed attempt at launching Workplace—a corporate version of Facebook—is a case in point). It is not just the mode of work that is changing under the influence of social and cultural shifts over the past decade, but also the technology itself. According to a recent study by Microsoft and LinkedIn, by 2028, 86% of employees will use AI tools at work. Already today, 75% do so [5] often outside corporate-approved frameworks (with implications for security, privacy, and data management). This is the phenomenon of “Bring Your Own AI” (BYOAI), a concept already solidified through the use of generative AI tools. In short, while in the latter half of the 20th century, companies imposed cultural models, today it is society that imposes its frameworks onto companies. In this sense, the trend is distinctly pop.

How does OpenKnowledge support companies (complex organisms composed of people, cultures, management structures, ideas, projects, and objectives) in navigating these challenges?