ISCAP Proceedings: Abstract Presentation
Beyond Performance: A Human Capability Framework for Intelligent Environments
Jamil Ramsey
Capitol Technology University
Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) changes how people learn, solve problems, and perform knowledge work, but most research examines productivity, automation, and task performance. This paper presents the Human Capability Framework (HCF), a theoretical foundation that makes human capability the primary unit of analysis for intelligent environments. HCF includes the Rising Floor, Bounded Ceiling model: AI raises baseline capability, but higher-order expertise still requires continued human development. HCF also defines Purposeful Friction as a design principle that preserves cognitive effort needed to develop judgment, abstraction, creativity, metacognition, and strategic reasoning. The framework uses current scholarship from human-computer interaction, learning sciences, organizational behavior, and human-centered AI to examine cognitive offloading, capability preservation, and capability optimization. This early-stage paper defines these constructs and gives a research agenda for controlled educational and organizational studies of long-term human capability beyond short-term performance.