When technology moves fasterthan our capacity to adapt,what happens in between?
The opening session of the series introduced the concept of Technology-Human Disequilibrium and explored what drives this gap, what it looks like in practice, and why it matters for research, organisations and society.
- Date
- 28 May 2026 · 15:30 CET / 16:30 EET
- Duration
- 60 minutes
- Format
- Online · Free · Open registration
- Facilitator
- Dr. Elena Puica · Mentheris
- Status
- Completed
The question behind the session
Where the inquiry began.
We assume that when technology changes, people adapt. But adaptation is not automatic, not uniform, and not guaranteed.
This session introduced the concept of Technology-Human Disequilibrium: a systemic imbalance that emerges when technological development advances faster than the ability of human systems to understand, integrate, and effectively use it. The session explored what drives this gap, what it looks like in practice, and why it matters for research, organizations, and society.
The question
When technology moves faster than our capacity to adapt, what happens in between?
What we examined
Following the question through the system.
Technological expansion
Technological development continues to advance, moving faster than the human systems expected to absorb it.
Human adaptive capacity
Human systems need time to understand, integrate, and effectively use what changes. That capacity does not expand at the same pace.
The emerging imbalance
When the two fall out of step, a systemic imbalance emerges: Technology-Human Disequilibrium.
Why it matters
The gap is not abstract. It has practical consequences for research, organizations, and society.
Central concept
Technology-HumanDisequilibrium
A systemic imbalance that emerges when technological development advances faster than the ability of human systems to understand, integrate, and effectively use it.
This session draws on the theory-building conceptual paper Technology-Human Disequilibrium: A conceptual paper for human-centered technological systems (Puica, 2026, Mentheris). Read the paper
Ideas examined
Ideas the session placed under examination.
Adaptation is not automatic.
We assume that when technology changes, people adapt. But adaptation is not automatic, not uniform, and not guaranteed.
The gap is systemic, not individual.
Disequilibrium emerges when technological development advances faster than the ability of human systems to understand, integrate, and effectively use it.
The consequences reach beyond technology.
What begins as a distance between development and adaptation shapes research, organizations, and society.
Open questions
The questions that remain.
What drives the gap between technological development and human adaptive capacity?
What does disequilibrium look like in practice?
Why does it matter for research, organizations, and society?
Research continues.
Session materials
Continue the inquiry
The conversation is part of a larger body of work.
Research Dialogues are not isolated events. They create spaces where Mentheris research can be questioned, expanded and connected to other perspectives.
The inquiry continues
The framework in focus: understanding Technology-Human Disequilibrium
The second session went deeper into the conceptual framework itself: its components, the dynamics between equilibrium and disequilibrium, and what the adaptive gap looks like across individual, organisational and societal levels.