Adoption to Abstraction - A Framework for Measuring Automation Friction and Observational Loss

This working paper is intended for business leaders, researchers, and practitioners interested in the economics of automation, particularly the less-visible costs of implementation. It introduces and formalises the terms Clunk and Observational Loss as structural features of automation friction - capturing inefficiencies that often go unmeasured in AI Adoption / Automation Implementation processes.

The framework combines economic theory with probabilistic modelling to define and quantify frictional drag across organisational contexts. Using Markov chains, entropy functions, and cost attribution models, it seeks to map the space between digital ambition and operational misfit.

This is an independent study. It is not a complete theory, but a structured attempt to surface what often remains hidden in automation strategy: the drift, the ambiguity, and the reversion. I hope it proves useful as a diagnostic foundation for future work.

Best,

 Oliver Lamontagne - https://efficiency.stream