The HAIC-MM Research Project

The research and development (completed in January 2025) of the HAIC Maturity Model are spearheaded by a dedicated academic team:

• Dr. Flavio Ortolano:
  • Principal Investigator and lead developer of the HAIC maturity model as the core delivreable of his Ph.D. dissertation in the Systems Engineering program at Colorado State University.
  • Leads the conceptualization and validation of the maturity model.
• Dr. Erika Miller Gallegos:
  • Ph.D. Academic Advisor and Project Coordinator.
  • Provides critical oversight and guidance on research methodology and project execution.
  • Dr. Erika Gallegos is a professor at Colorado State University with deep expertise in how humans interact with complex systems to enhance safety and performance in the design and evaluation of new and existing infrastructure.
  • Her research emphasizes developing appropriate trust and maintaining situational awareness of human operators working with autonomous systems.

Together, their combined expertise in AI integration, organizational transformation, and human-centered systems design forms the foundation of this project, ensuring a robust and practical framework.

This dissertation investigated how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) can strategically harness AI technologies to foster innovation, enhance productivity, and achieve sustainable, long-term growth. The core of the research delves into pivotal questions concerning human-AI synergy:

• Need for a Specialized Maturity Model: Is there a demonstrable need for a dedicated maturity model tailored to facilitate effective human-AI collaboration specifically within SMEs, especially considering their typical resource constraints?
• Essential Core Capabilities: What specific core capabilities and organizational competencies should SMEs prioritize and cultivate to achieve a balanced and productive human-AI collaboration?
• Guiding Performance Indicators: What key performance indicators (KPIs) can SMEs effectively utilize to measure, monitor, and strategically guide the evolution of their human-AI collaborative efforts?

The HAIC-MM itself was meticulously developed and rigorously validated using a comprehensive mixed-methods research approach. This included extensive literature reviews across multiple disciplines, quantitative surveys engaging 100 industry professionals, and in-depth qualitative focus groups with 10 subject matter experts. This robust validation process ensures the model's practical relevance and direct applicability to real-world SME challenges.

This project addresses critical challenges faced by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the age of AI:

• Bridging the Gap for SMEs: Many SMEs struggle with AI integration due to:
  • Limited financial and human resources.
  • Lack of in-house technical AI expertise.
  • Inconsistent or absent strategic AI planning.
• Addressing Model Deficiencies: Existing AI maturity and digital transformation models often:
  • Overlook the unique operational constraints and resource limitations of SMEs.
  • Fail to adequately emphasize the critical role of human-AI collaboration for successful adoption.

The HAIC-MM offers a solution by providing a structured, human-centered pathway for AI adoption. It specifically focuses on:

• Enhancing organizational readiness for AI.
• Promoting user acceptance and effective change management.
• Ensuring ethical AI oversight and robust AI governance.
• Delivering a framework tailored for minimal complexity and maximum practical application within the SME context.
• Fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation to evolving AI technologies.
• Integrating AI tools in a way that complements and augments human capabilities, not replaces them.
• Empowering employees with the necessary skills and confidence to work effectively alongside AI systems.

The HAIC-MM was developed using a structured, iterative framework. This rigorous approach ensures the model's practical relevance and theoretical soundness.

Key aspects of the methodology include:

• Theoretical Integration: The model integrates foundational principles from:
  • Systems Engineering: Applying concepts such as systems thinking, lifecycle management, and requirements engineering.
  • Human-Computer Interaction: Focusing on user understanding, usability, and fostering trust in AI systems.
  • Organizational Behavior: Incorporating theories of change readiness, knowledge integration, and developing an adaptive organizational culture.
• Comprehensive Framework Analysis: The development process included an extensive review and synthesis of best practices from over 30 existing frameworks across AI maturity, digital transformation, and human-machine teaming domains.
• Rigorous Validation: The model's practical applicability and robustness were validated through:
  • Quantitative surveys with 100 industry professionals.
  • Numerous qualitative focus group sessions.
  • Real-world pilot tests conducted with several organizations.

This multi-faceted approach ensures the HAIC-MM is both theoretically grounded and practically implementable, creating a user-friendly maturity model tailored for SMEs.

The HAIC-MM is structured around 7 Key Dimensions designed to frame human-AI collaboration:

• AI-Enhanced Leadership and Strategy
• Adaptive AI Culture and Empowerment
• Harmonizing AI and Human Processes
• Human-Centric AI Integration and Experience
• Human-Centered AI Customer Engagement
• AI Ethics and Human Oversight
• Inclusive AI Governance and Learning

Understanding these human factors such as trust, transparency, change readiness, ethical considerations, and inclusive governance-enables effective usage of AI at scale. This project studies how to balance human creativity and critical thinking with AI's analytic power to create a resilient, forward-thinking organization.

The model further breaks down these dimensions into a granular, actionable hierarchy:

• 32 Capabilities: Focused areas of development within each dimension.
• Focus Areas (5 per Capability): Concentrated areas of action for each capability.
• Advancement Practices (4 per Focus Area): Strategic initiatives to elevate capabilities to higher maturity levels.
• Components (9 per Advancement Practice): Detailed, customizable guidance for practical implementation.

Organizations adopting the HAIC-MM framework can achieve significant benefits:

• Increased Productivity: Optimizing workflows by blending AI's analytical power with human intuition, potentially leading to up to 40% productivity gains.
• Improved Decision-Making: Leveraging AI for data-driven insights while retaining human judgment for complex scenarios.
• Enhanced Innovation Capacity: Freeing employees from routine tasks to focus on higher-value, creative, and strategic initiatives.
• Sustainable AI Integration: A structured approach ensures AI empowers employees, fostering long-term competitive advantages.
• Organizational Agility and Resilience: Building an adaptive culture that can respond effectively to technological changes.
• Ethical and Responsible AI: Guiding SMEs towards AI adoption that is ethically sound and prioritizes human oversight.

The model's focus on human-AI partnerships helps SMEs overcome common adoption barriers and maximize the value of AI.